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“after a long time the lovely dawn fairies came out from their 

SLEEPING places” — Page 3 





Daddy’s Bedtime 
Fairy Stories 


By 


Mary Graham Bonner 


With four illustrations in color by 
Florence Choate and Elixabeth Curtis 



New York 

Frederick A. Stokes Company 

Publishers 




Copyright, 1916, by 
Frederick A. Stokes Company 

All rights reserved, including that oj translation into 
foreign languages 



AUG 14 1916 


©CI.A437223 

'H'-O ( . 


TO 

THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER, 
WHO GAVE ME THE HAPPINESS 
OF MY CHILDHOOD 




i 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The Beautiful Little Dawn Fairies ... i 
Mr. Sandman and the Playful Fairies ... 4 

The Invisible Fairy and the Tree of Plenty . 7 

The Jolly Snow King’s First Party .... 10 

The Fairy Queen’s New Year’s Visit ... 13 

Peter’s Coasting Party with the Goblins . . 16 

How THE Fairies Rescued the Gray Squirrel . 19 

How THE Jolly Brownies Enjoyed the Slush . 22 

The Fairy Queen’s Lovely Valentine Party . 25 

Peter’s Trip with the Man in the Moon . . 28 

The Witch and the Cedar Chest . . . .31 

The Gapoozic and the Fairy Queen’s Birth- 
day 34 

The Gnomes and the Tipster Bird .... 37 

The Fairies’ Beautiful Big Masquerade Ball 40 

St. Patrick’s Day in Fairyland 43 

The Fairies’ Party for the Robins .... 46 

The Fairies’ Trip in the Glass Bottom Boat . 49 

The Moonlight Party of the Moths and But- 
terflies 52 

The Brownies’ Bonfire Party for the Fairies 55 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


The Elves Discover the Game of Marbles . 58 

The Fairies’ Mudpie Party for the Mud Tur- 
tles 61 

The Jolly Fairies Give Their Yearly Spring 

Frolic 64 

The Fairies’ Trip Through the Clouds . . 67 

The Fairies’ Spring Flower Hunting Trip . 70 

The Fairies Play in the Sand 73 

The Fairies’ Trip to the Skies 76 

The Rose Festival of the Fairies ..... 79 

The Fairies’ Sunset Party for the Butter- 
flies 82 

The Prize for the Fairy Queen 85 

The Fairies Give a Big Summer Picnic ... 88 

Why Mr. Sun Drove Away the Mud . . .91 

The Little Bumble-Bee Makes a Mistake . 94 

The Orchestra of the Fairies 97 

The Dreamland Tree of Fairyland . . . 100 

The Faithful Little Fairies of the Wells . 103 
The Dew-Drops Have a Breakfast Party . . 106 

How THE Sun Won the Snow Battle . . . 109 

Little Princess Twilight-Bell’s Party . .112 

How THE Fairies Made It Cooler . . . .115 

The Little Gloves the Fairies Wear . . .118 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


^‘After a long time the lovely dawn fairies came out 
from their sleeping places” .... Frontispiece 


“Peter felt a little afraid at first that he’d fall” 


FACING 

PAGE 


. 30 




“So off they sailed, feeling just like birds with the de- 
lightful flying motion of the ships” . . . . 68 

“As the bumble-bees got nearer they, too, saw they 

had made a mistake” 96 v 


0 


These stories first appeared in the American Press 
Association Service 


THE BEAUTIFUL LITTLE DAWN 
FAIRIES 


‘‘T WONDER if you 
A know, children, that 
there are certain lovely lit- 
tle fairies living around us 
all the time who call them- 
selves the dawn fairies?’’ 

“No,” said Evelyn; “I 
have never heard of them. 
Do tell us about them and why they call them- 
selves by such a funny name.” 

“Well,” continued daddy, “it does seem a 
funny name when you first hear it, but when I 
tell you why you will understand. 

“You see, the chief object of a fairy is never 
to be seen by a human being. These fairies 
are around us all the time, but we do not know 
it, as we cannot see them. The only time they 
play without any worries or fears is in the 

early morning before day breaks, and so they 
1 



2 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


call themselves the dawn fairies. Their 
dresses are made of dull gray, which looks like 
the early morning, and then it is that they frisk 
about and have the most wonderful time. As 
soon as the sun rises their dresses change color 
and are very dazzling — just like the sun, 
which, you know, is so bright that you cannot 
possibly look at it. You see, when the sun 
rises and the day begins all the human beings 
commence to get up and go about, and as the 
fairies do not wish to be seen the queen of the 
fairies has given them all these very, very 
bright frocks so none of us can see them.” 

‘‘I know a way of seeing the dawn fairies,” 
suggested J ack. 

“Oh, what?” asked Evelyn excitedly. 

“Why, just get up early, you silly thing,” 
said Jack, “and watch them playing in their 
own dawn dresses before they put on the very, 
very bright dresses the fairy queen has given 
them.” 

“Jack,” began daddy, “your idea has already 
been thought of by the fairy queen, for should 
any little boy or girl get up before daybreak 
in order to see the dawn fairies the fairy queen, 
who is always watching over them, waves her 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 3 

magic wand and the fairies are instantly 
turned into mist. 

^‘Once a little boy like you, Jack, had heard 
of the dawn fairies and was so eager to see 
them that he got up long before daybreak — 
in fact, before the fairies themselves were up, 
for they sleep when it is really dark. This 
little boy hid in the trunk of a tree. After 
what seemed a long time to him the lovely 
gray dawn fairies came out from their sleep- 
ing places, and he heard them laugh their low, 
bell-like laughs. Suddenly one of them re- 
alized that some one was around and caught 
sight of the little boy. ^Oh, dear,’ shrieked 
the fairy; ^there’s a huge person near us!’ at 
which all the fairies scattered. 

^^So from that day the fairy queen has been 
careful that no one else should see the dawn 
fairies.” 


MR. SANDMAN AND THE 
PLAYFUL FAIRIES 



T was seven o’clock, and 
. Jack and Evelyn were in 
their two little white beds. 
They were very sleepy, for 
they had been playing 
hard all day, but they 


The Sandman on His wouldn’t admit that tO 


Rounds. 


daddy, because they were 


afraid he wouldn’t tell them his usual bed- 
time story. Of course they occasionally did 
fall asleep before the end of the story, but then 
that was an accident. Daddy saw without 
being told how sleepy they were, so he decided 
to tell them the story about old Mr. Sandman, 
who lives forever and who sees every night 
that all the little children in the world rub 
their eyes and then crawl into their snug, 
comfy beds. So daddy began : “Once upon 
a time the queen of the fairies was getting 
ready for a very fine ball. She told all the lit- 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 5 


tie fairies that they must go to bed as soon as 
she left them, for even little fairies have to 
sleep too. But the little fairies were very 
wide awake and also feeling very naughty, and 
they thought it would be such fun to play for 
hours and hours, for the queen would not be 
home until midnight. So they began to plan 
the game they would play first. They de- 
cided on Tide and seek,’ as it would be such 
an especially wide awake game. 

“They romped and raced about, hiding in 
this flower and that, stealing under the leaves, 
dodging behind the trunks of the trees and 
playing such jolly pranks that old Mr. Owl, 
who was roosting in the branches of an oak, 
laughed right out loud. Did you ever hear 
an owl laugh? Well, it is a very queer sort 
of laugh, and the fairies had to stop their game 
and laugh at Mr. Owl’s laughter. 

“But Mr. Sandman never goes to balls or 
parties of any kind, for he knows how hard 
children have been playing all day and how 
much they need their cozy beds at night. He 
had just started on his nightly rounds to see 
that all his little friends were going quickly 
into the land of sweet dreams when he spied 


6 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


the little fairies playing on the mossy grass in 
the moonlight. He said to himself, ^Here is 
some work for me to do,’ and without being 
seen he waved in the air his magic nightcap. 
One by one the little fairies yawned and 
rubbed their sleepy eyes, and the game became 
quieter and quieter. Finally one very brave 
fairy — for it’s brave to admit you are sleepy — 
said, ‘I must lie down on this bed of moss; I 
am so sleepy.’ Soon all the little fairies fol- 
lowed suit and dropped off into the Land of 
Nod to dream of the other fairies that live in 
all the countless stars. 

^When Mr. Sandman saw them all sleeping 
soundly he winked his right eye, which meant 
he felt very pleased, and said to himself, ‘Now 
I must see that some more of the little tots 
have pleasant dreams.’ ” And, sure enough, 
daddy looked and saw that Jack and Evelyn 
had fallen fast asleep. 


THE INVISIBLE FAIRY AND 
THE TREE OF PLENTY 


D id you ever hear,” 
said daddy, “the 
story of the fairy and the 
Tree of Plenty?” 

“No,” said Jack and 
Evelyn. “Do tell us that 
story.” 

“Once upon a time,” 
commenced daddy, “there were two little chil- 
dren, a little boy and a little girl just like you. 
They had an uncle who lived in India, and one 
day a message came that he was expected home 
the next week. Of course they knew the un- 
cle must be wonderful, as how could any one 
living in India help but be wonderful. ‘To 
celebrate my return,’ the uncle told them, ‘we 
will have a picnic this afternoon,’ and, of 
course, the children were delighted and could 
hardly wait until the afternoon came. The 
uncle was away all the morning and was full 
7 



There Were AH Sorts 
of Good Things. 


8 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


of mystery when he returned for luncheon. In 
the afternoon the two children, with a lot of 
their little friends, followed the uncle to a 
place in the woods where the picnic was to be 
held. To their great surprise and sorrow they 
could not see a single sign of any party. Their 
uncle saw their surprised faces and their dis- 
appointed manners and said: am not really 

giving this party. It is to be given by a very 
kind and good fairy. That is her home over 
there in that tree, which is called the Tree of 
Plenty. She is very shy, so you won’t be able 
to see her, because as she hears voices she dis- 
appears within the tree, and no one can find 
her. When I came here this morning I had 
to talk down into the trunk of the tree, but she 
promised to have all kinds of sugar plums and 
goodies ready for you this afternoon, and, as 
she always keeps her word, I am sure you will 
find them there between those low branches.’ 
Sure enough, there were all sorts of good 
things — ice cream, nuts, candy and bonbons. 

^‘The children gathered eagerly around 
while the goodies from the tree were handed 
out to them. Then they sat down on a log to 
eat them. They wished that the fairy would 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 9 

join them at their feast, but they did not see 
anything of her. 

Terhaps she’s asleep,’ one of the children 
suggested. ^You know that the fairies dance 
by the light of the moon, and they must be tired 
and ready to go to bed by daylight.’ 

“As they were eating these dainties number- 
less little rabbits, squirrels and birds came 
hovering around, but they were so small and 
the children seemed so big to them that they 
were afraid to go too near. 

“After the children had finished eating and 
had made the uncle tell them plenty of fairy 
stories they started for home, and then the 
uncle said that the rabbits, squirrels and birds 
would finish all the goodies, as the good fairy 
always saw to it that they, too, had a picnic un- 
der the Tree of Plenty.” 


THE JOLLY SNOW KING’S 
FIRST PARTY 


O NCE upon a time,” 
began daddy, ‘‘there 
had been a great snow- 
storm during the night, 
and everything in the 
woods was heavy with 
snow. The branches of 
the big pine trees looked 
as if they would break with the huge packs of 
snow on them, and all the little bushes looked 
like fairyland with the snow covering them. 
To be sure, it was fairyland, for early in the 
morning all the fairies gathered together in 
their favorite part of the woods near a run- 
ning brook, which they used as their play- 
ground and which they called Brookwood. 
But this time the brook had half frozen. 
Lovely icicles hung from the stones in the 
brook, and over some parts of it were thin 
sheets of ice. 



The Snow King Came 
to the Dance. 


10 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 11 


^Oh, isn’t it marvelous!’ cried the fairy 
queen. 

“We’ll have a dance!’ cried the queen of 
the fairies; ‘little elves, little brownies, all of 
you come!’ she shouted. 

“Soon they all came, being carried by 
chariots of snow, with the north wind as their 
steed. 

“ ‘Oh, oh,’ cried they all, ‘how wonderful! 
Did you do all this beautiful work with your 
magic wand, lovely queen of the fairies?’ 

“ ‘No; I must admit that the old snow king 
has made a lovelier scene than even my magic 
wand can make.’ 

“ ‘Where does the old snow king live?’ asked 
one of the brownies. 

“ ‘Why, he lives up in the snow cloud,’ the 
fairy queen answered. 

“ ‘Let’s ask him to the dance,’ suggested one 
of the brownies. 

“ ‘That’s a splendid idea,’ said the fairy 
queen. 

“So she waved her magic wand and called 
in her lovely clear voice, ‘Come to the dance, 
snow king; come to the dance!’ 

“The snow king needed no urging, for flakes 


12 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


of snow began to fly about in the air, and soon 
a jolly old person who looked like a great big 
snowball on first glance jumped down on the 
ground. 

‘Here I am,’ he said, ‘and I thank you so 
much, little fairies, elves and brownies, and 
you, too, beautiful fairy queen, for inviting me 
to the party, for, though I arrange many a 
party, IVe never been asked to one before, and 
I certainly am pleased.’ And as he said this 
he made a low bow to the fairy queen. In 
doing so he fell over, for he was so fat and 
round. How they all did laugh, and he 
laughed, too, for, as he said, he loved a merry 
party. 

“ ‘I’ll give you lots more parties,’ said he, 
‘if you think they’re so beautiful.’ 

“ ‘And we’ll ask you to come to all !’ they 
shouted. 

“ ‘That’s fine!’ cried the snow king. ‘We’ll 
have one again to-morrow, and, oh, ever so 
many more, and I’ll come to them all! Hur- 
rah, hurrah!’ ” 


THE FAIRY QUEEN’S NEW 
YEAR’S VISIT 



o 


commenced daddy, 
‘‘a grand ball was given on 
New Year’s eve by all the 
elves and brownies. It 
was held in a beautiful 


|NCE upon a time,” 


A Beautiful Fairy park, which was lighted 


Appeared. 


with Japanese lanterns. 


and there were a number of little flower 
booths in the corners of the park where the 
elves and brownies could drink pink lemonade 
when they felt hot and thirsty from dancing. 
The elves were far prettier dancers than the 
brownies, for they were graceful and dainty, 
and the way they could twirl on their toes and 
spin around filled the brownies with envy. 
The brownies looked very cunning in their lit- 
tle brown suits and quaint brown hats, but they 
were much too fat to be good dancers. Often 
they would topple over in dancing, and how 


13 


14 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


the elves would laugh and how mad it made 
the brownies feel! 

‘‘Toward the latter part of the evening they 
forgot all envious feelings and joined together 
in doing square dances and Virginia reels. 

“When they were almost ready to drop from 
dancing so much and playing so hard they de- 
cided it was about time to stop. So they all 
sat down on the grass for the most marvelous 
supper you can ever possibly imagine. First 
they had broiled gillybirds’ tongues on toast, 
then some fried ants with mushroom sauce, 
delicious snail salad and for dessert pink ice 
cream to match the pink lemonade, for they 
voted on pink as their favorite color. Of 
course they had nuts and raisins and bonbons 
of all colors to pull with each other. In the 
bonbons were all sorts of little toys, whistles, 
paper caps and mottoes, wooden soldiers and 
toy animals. 

“Suddenly a most beautiful fairy appeared, 
dressed all in white, with a silver crown on her 
head, a silver wand and silver stars glittering 
on her dress. 

“‘The queen of the fairies!’ said they all 
breathlessly. And at this moment at a far dis- 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 15 

tance were heard the sounds of bells ringing in 
a new year. 

‘Happy New Year to all the elves and 
brownies !’ said the queen. 

“ ‘Happy New Year, beautiful fairy!’ said 
all in reply. 

“The fairy queen waved her wand and in 
the loveliest, most musical voice said, ‘I wish 
you all good luck!’ at which she vanished, and 
in the lap of each little elf and brownie lay a 
glittering round gold piece with ‘Good luck 
from the fairy queen’ engraved on it. 

“Never had the elves and brownies had such 
a marvelous surprise, and a visit from the fairy 
queen, to have actually seen her — oh, it was 
wonderful! And they knew how lucky they 
were, for if the fairy queen wished them luck 
it would be sure to follow them all their lives. 
And you may be sure all the little elves and 
brownies were the happiest creatures in ex- 
istence as they crawled into their flowery beds 
very, very early that New Year’s morning.” 


PETER’S COASTING PARTY WITH 
THE GOBLINS 


T here was once,” said 
daddy, “a little boy 
named Peter who had al- 
ways had an awful horror of 
goblins. His mother and 
daddy would tell him that 

^‘Hello, Mr. Gob- . 

lin,” said Peter. goblius Were Very much like 
brownies and that they al- 
ways played among themselves. They told 
him that the goblins were jolly and good na- 
tured and would never dream of frightening 
any little boy or girl. But still, for some 
strange reason, Peter was very much afraid of 
even the name of goblin. His daddy told him 
a story every night at bedtime, but after the 
lights were out he would begin to think of the 
goblins and would imagine every creak in the 
room must mean something. 

“One night after Peter’s daddy had told 

him a story and the lights were out Peter lay 
16 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 17 


for a few moments wide awake. But he’d 
been playing hard all day, so it was not long 
before he fell sound asleep. In his sleep a 
funny looking goblin came to him and tapped 
him on the shoulder. It was the first time 
Peter had seen a goblin ; but, strangely 
enough, he was not scared. 

^Hello, Peter!’ said the goblin. ^I’m glad 
to see you’re not afraid of me. I knew you 
wouldn’t be after you’d really seen me. Often 
people imagine we’re dreadful creatures, and, 
you see, we’re not at all. We like to have 
plenty of fun, and we would never hurt any 
one for anything in the world. That doesn’t 
sound very awful, does it?’ 

^No,’ said Peter; T think you’re just as 
nice as you can be. I can’t imagine how I 
ever could have been frightened.’ 

“ ‘Well, Peter, as long as you’re not fright- 
ened at me any more, how would you like to 
go on a coasting party we goblins are giving 
to-night’ 

“So Peter got up and put on his warmest 
coasting clothes and pulled a wooly red cap 
way down over his ears, and off he started with 
the goblin. When they got outside they 


i8 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


walked to a nearby hill, where there were 
quantities of goblins with their sleds. They 
were tossing the light falling snow into each 
other’s face and laughing and having such a 
good time. 

‘IVe brought Peter along,’ said Peter’s 
goblin, ^and he says he’s not afraid of us any 
more.’ 

“ ‘Hurrah for Peter!’ cried all the goblins. 

“Peter did have the best time coasting, and 
he thought the goblins were perfectly wonder- 
ful. They were all delighted that he was no 
longer afraid of them and that he enjoyed the 
snowstorm just as much as they did. 

“But, oh, even the snowstorm party with the 
goblins had to end, for Peter heard his mother 
saying, ‘Time to get up, Peter, and you can 
take your sled to school with you, for it has 
been snowing all night.’ 

“And Peter realized it was all a dream, but 
he never again was afraid of goblins.” 


HOW THE FAIRIES RESCUED 
THE GRAY SQUIRREL 


^‘TT was half snowing and 
A half raining, and the 
fairies were hoping it 
would get just a little col- 
der,” said daddy. “Then 
it would freeze, and the 
snowy rain would stick to 
the trees and make most 
beautiful crystals and icicles, and they could 
play the castle game.” 

“What was that?” asked Evelyn. 

“Whenever there were icicles,” continued 
daddy, “or pretty ice shapes the queen of the 
fairies would call the other fairies and say, 
‘Let’s play the castle game.’ Then the fairies 
would come from all around and get in their 
places for the castle game. The queen of the 
fairies would pretend that she was to have the 
castle taken for her. They made believe that 
the icicles were turrets and towers, back of 

19 



The Squirrel Was Res- 
cued by the Fairies. 


20 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


which was a huge wandering castle in which 
were prisoners held captive. The queen of 
the fairies would pretend that she was the new 
queen of a land whose subjects had been badly 
treated. And she would begin her reign with 
no prisoners. So all the fairies who were her 
followers helped her to destroy all the turrets 
and towers of icicles. So then the castle could 
come down and the prisoners get away without 
being seen. 

^‘Well, they got plenty of snowballs ready 
first and hit at the icicles with the snowballs. 
The biggest and strongest icicles which 
wouldn’t come down with just the snowballs 
they would pull down. 

“And, oh, such fun and laughing as they al- 
ways do have over this game ! 

“The day I’m telling you about it did 
freeze, and they did commence their game of 
pulling down the castle. The playground 
they chose was in a quarry where there were 
plenty of icicles attached to the rocks. 

“But behind an icicle what do you suppose 
they found? A little gray squirrel had 
jumped to a rocky cliff where he had seen some 
nuts stowed away. After eating some of the 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 21 


nuts he had evidently felt so tired and sleepy 
that he had fallen asleep; for he was a very 
young squirrel. And as he slept it had grown 
suddenly very much colder, and the icicle by 
the rock on which he was had grown so thick 
that he couldn’t pass it. So when the icicle 
was hit by a snowball and still did not fall 
down one of the fairies went up and pulled 
it down. You know fairies have a great deal 
of strength, even though they are so dainty 
and light. 

‘‘You can imagine the joy of the fairies 
when they found their imaginary game had 
really become true and that they had rescued 
a little squirrel. The squirrel was very cold, 
but he’d kept somewhat warm sleeping, and he 
soon revived by jumping around. He was so 
grateful to the fairies for saving his life that 
he invited them to the squirrels’ next nut 
party.” 



The Round Brownies 
Waited on Them. 


HOW THE JOLLY BROWNIES 
ENJOYED THE SLUSH 

M ost people don’t 
think a day when it 
is half raining and snowing 
is nice, but I can tell you 
the Brownies did,” said 
daddy to Jack and Evelyn. 

“It was evening, and all 
day they had been snuggled 
in different little hiding places, bobbing up 
and down with excitement as they watched the 
hot sun melt the snow. They ran behind trees 
as they traveled to the village near by their 
woods just so they could see the people looking 
annoyed at the slush, and when they heard any 
one say, What horrid weather we’re having 
now; I do dislike March so!’ the Brownies 
almost chuckled aloud, and they certainly 
grinned from ear to ear. The Brownies 
thought people were very ridiculous when 

they grumbled about the weather. 

22 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 23 

“So they waited with glee until the evening 
came. Then they had a party. The Brown- 
ies divided themselves into two sides for the 
evening. Each side was given a separate part 
of the woods in which to get up something 
original. Six judges were chosen apart. The 
Brownies which had the best exhibit were to 
sit still during supper and be waited on by the 
others. They were to get all the goodies first. 
So each side worked hard to make its exhibit 
win. One side was called the fat Brownies 
and the other side the round Brownies. 

“The exhibit of the round Brownies was a 
snow house, which, of course, was beautifully 
made because the snow was wet and stuck to- 
gether well. 

“But the fat Brownies had made a fine park. 
They had made paths and smoothed off the 
snow to edge the paths with flower beds. In 
the flower beds they had stuck twigs and little 
branches. On these they had put snowballs, 
which, too, had stuck because of the wet 
snow. 

“Really their park looked very funny, but 
the Brownies all thought it was perfect, and 
the round Brownies agreed with the judges 


24 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


when they said that the fat Brownies had the 
most original and interesting exhibit. 

“So they all sat down on little snowy stumps 
of trees while the round Brownies waited on 
them. They had Brownie soup, which is per- 
fectly delicious, and, of course, it was piping 
hot. They call it Brownie soup because it is 
brown. Then they had croquettes with brown 
gravy and brown potatoes, and for dessert they 
had brown Betty pudding. 

“The judges’ wives had cooked the supper, 
and they received a great deal of praise for it. 
The fat Brownies thought it was wonderful to 
be waited on, and the round Brownies enjoyed 
popping up and getting everything, for then 
they thought they appreciated the good things 
to eat still more. 

“And they all hoped the snow would melt 
some more so that they could have another 
party the next night and wear their new rub- 
ber boots.” 


THE FAIRY QUEEN’S LOVELY 
VALENTINE PARTY 


^‘TT was Valentine’s eve 
A in Fairyland, and all 
the fairies were dancing 
around, dressed in lovely, 
flimsy red frocks. They 
carried little red wands 
from which dangled red 
hearts, and on their heads 
they wore red crowns with bright spangles. 

‘‘On all the trees were big strings of red 
hearts, which went from tree to tree. Over 
the grass they had spread a big red rug, upon 
which already some of the fairies were danc- 
ing. Every fairy had made a valentine for 
the fairy queen, and they were all scattered 
about the queen’s throne, which was also dec- 
orated with red hearts. The fairy queen had 
not yet arrived, as she was going to give them 
a surprise. 

“Before long they heard a tinkling of bells> 

25 



26 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


and, riding in a bright red coach drawn by 
lOO red lizards, appeared the fairy queen. 
She was dressed in an exquisite red trailing 
gown, and in her hair she had a wreath of 
geranium blossoms. Two red birds acted as 
her coachman and footman and helped her 
alight from the coach. 

‘Come and see your valentines, fairy 
queen!’ they shouted after they’d recovered 
from the excitement of the queen’s new coach. 
Her coachman and footman and the loo liz- 
ards stood by the coach watching everything. 

“So the fairy queen opened countless little 
red envelopes in which were the lovely valen- 
tines the fairies had made. The fairy queen 
was delighted and thanked the little fairies 
again and again for them, and then she said : 

“ ‘When I wave my wand from all the trees 
around will fall valentines, so that each little 
fairy will have one.” 

“So with a flourish of her wand all the trees 
began to tremble and then wave around as if 
a storm were coming, but in a second down 
dropped little red heart shaped boxes. Each 
fairy scampered about wildly to get a valen- 
tine. 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 27 

^‘None of them could open the valentines 
until the fairy queen said so, as they all had 
magic locks. 

“At last every fairy had one, and the fairy 
queen waved her wand, saying, ‘Open lids, 
open valentines!’ at which every little red 
heart shaped box popped open and out sprang 
from each a little red coral necklace. From 
each necklace hung a glittering heart shaped 
charm on which was written, ‘To My Valen- 
tine, From the Fairy Queen, Feb. 14.’ ” 

“How wonderful!” shouted Evelyn. “The 
fairies must have been delighted.” 

“Then they all had the most marvelous sup- 
per on a long table decorated with red bon- 
bons and lighted with little red lanterns, and 
the fairies said it was the loveliest valentine 
party they had ever had.” 


PETER’S TRIP WITH THE MAN 
IN THE MOON 


T here was once,” said 
daddy, “a little boy 
named Peter who had al- 
ways longed to see the man 
in the moon. Every night 
when there was a full moon 
he would sit at his window 
and look at the funny, jolly 
face of the old man until he became so sleepy 
he would have to go to bed. 

‘‘One night he sat watching so long that he 
fell sound asleep by the window. It was not 
long before he saw the strangest thing. The 
moon seemed to be growing larger and larger, 
and soon it was back of a tree near his window. 
He could see quite plainly the jolly old face of 
his beloved man in the moon looking jollier 
and fatter than ever. The old man grinned 
from ear to ear at Peter, and in a moment or 
two he spoke. 



28 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 29 


“ ‘Well, Peter, here I am. Now how do 
you like me?’ And as he spoke he chuckled 
and laughed. , 

“ ‘Oh, I think you’re wonderful!’ said Peter, 
with wild enthusiasm and joy. 

“‘So you think Pm wonderful, do you? 
Ha, ha! Well, that is a joke! But there cer- 
tainly isn’t any one else just like me, that’s true 
enough. So maybe I’m wonderful because 
I’m so queer. What about that?’ 

“ ‘Oh, no,’ said Peter; ‘you’re wonderful be- 
cause you’re so fat and jolly and because you’re 
always laughing and seeming to have a good 
time.’ 

“At that the old man in the moon laughed 
some more and said: ‘Well, you’re a funny 
little chap too. All folks don’t think it’s such 
a compliment to be fat, but I do. It’s the way 
I am, you see, and it’s best to be satisfied with 
the way you are, isn’t it? If you really like 
me then I’ll take you ofif in my chariot of mist 
to visit the stars, and you’ll call on all the 
bright queens of the stars, who sparkle so you 
can see them from down on the earth.’ 

“So ofif went Peter with the man in the moon 
for the most gorgeous trip. They visited all 


30 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


the stars, saw the bright fairy queens who live 
in them and all the little elves and brownies. 
And then the man in the moon showed Peter 
where in the sky he stayed and how he moved 
every week so that all the little boys and girls 
in the world could see a full moon every 
month. And Peter could see down below all 
the wee little houses (they looked so small 
from where Peter was) and the earth, which 
looked very funny and small, too, from up in 
the moon. Peter felt a little afraid at first that 
he’d fall, but as he’d never heard of the man in 
the moon having a tumble to earth he felt com- 
forted. Alas, all too soon the journey had to 
end, for Peter heard the distant sound of a 
breakfast bell. 

‘^As he yawned he realized he’d been sleep- 
ing all night by the window. But, oh, such a 
gorgeous sleep as it had been!” 



“peter felt a little afraid at first that he’d fall” — Page 30 



THE WITCH AND THE CEDAR 
CHEST 


I AM going to tell you 
to-night/’ said daddy, 
‘‘a story about a little girl 
named Gretchen. She 
lived way off in Germany. 
She was very pretty, with 
yellow hair and big blue 
eyes. She was quite fat, 
too, and had a very jolly nature and laughed a 
great deal. 

^^Gretchen’s mother and daddy had both 
died when she was very young, so Gretchen 
lived with her grandmother and granddaddy. 
She was very happy and had lots of little 
friends to play with all the time. In the eve- 
nings before she went to bed her granddaddy 
always told her lovely fairy stories, and when 
she went to bed she’d dream she was with the 
fairies, playing games with them and dancing 
about as fairies do. 



31 


32 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


‘‘In the attic of her home were a great many 
strange and quaint old things, but the thing 
which seemed to hold more mystery than any- 
thing else was an old cedar chest covered with 
horsehair. Gretchen never dared look in the 
chest for some reason she couldn’t understand 
herself, though she often wondered what really 
was inside. 

“One night after her granddaddy had been 
telling her one of his wonderful stories and her 
grandmother had tucked her in her soft white 
bed Gretchen still felt very wide awake. But 
before long she fell asleep, and a strange dream 
came to her. 

“She dreamed she was up in the attic look- 
ing at everything in turn, but more than any- 
thing else she was gazing at the old cedar chest 
and wondering what could be within it. And 
as she was looking the lid opened, and out 
stepped a funny old woman with a wrinkled 
face. She wore a black shawl over her shoul- 
ders and a great big pointed black hat on her 
head. 

“Gretchen was sure she was a witch. Soon 
she spoke in a very soft, clear voice, not at all 
gruffly, as Gretchen imagined she would speak. 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 33 


“ ‘Little Gretchen, I have known you were 
always very curious to learn what was in the 
cedar chest. I live in it and have for years 
and years, for I am very, very old, as you can 
see. But my voice does not sound old be- 
cause I am very happy, and so it does not get 
the chance to grow old. When you’re asleep 
I come out of my chest and go to the parties 
the fairies give. To-night I’ve come to tell 
you you must never be afraid of the old cedar 
chest, but you must never look inside it. If 
you did my voice would change into the voice 
of an old woman, too, and that would make 
me very sad.’ 

“So Gretchen promised, and the next day 
when she looked at the chest it did not frighten 
her, but she kept her promise and did not try 
to open the top, for she knew that would spoil 
the witch’s greatest happiness — her voice, 
which was not old like her wrinkled face.” 


THE GAPOOZIC AND THE FAIRY 
QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY 



I T was the day before 
the fairy queen’s birth- 


•■‘Many happy returns,' 
the fairies cried. 


day,” said daddy. “Of 
course the fairy queen is 
always young and is beau- 
tiful. She has a birthday, 
as all the little fairies in- 
sist upon having some day, 
in which they can pay her special compliments. 
They love to plan for a birthday party. Some- 
how, though, this time they had thought and 
thought and had not been able to think up any- 
thing. 

“Well, at last, when nothing had been set- 
tled and the fairies were becoming rather dis- 
couraged, it was decided that a committee of 
six fairies was to be chosen and that they must 
decide what was to be done. 

“So the six fairies who were chosen went off 
into the woods. Through an opening in the 

34 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 35 


woods one of the fairies saw a very unusual 
thing and called the other fairies, saying, ‘I 
see such a strange looking creature in that val- 
ley over there.’ 

‘Let’s go over to him and see if he can sug- 
gest anything,’ said another fairy. 

“So the six fairies lifted their silver wings 
and alighted in the valley very near where the 
strange looking creature was standing. He 
proved to be a funny little old man with a very 
solemn face. 

“ ‘Who are you?’ asked the fairies. 

“ ‘I’m the Gapoozic,’ the old man answered. 

“ ‘We never heard of you. Where do you 
live — with the real people or by yourself in the 
woods?’ 

“ ‘In the daytime I live in this valley — al- 
ways by myself — where it is nice and sunny, 
and at night I sleep in the woods. My only 
friends are the crows, for they tell me funny 
stories and I give them presents.’ 

“ ‘What do you mean, Gapoozic?’ 

“ ‘Why, if any one can tell me a funny 
enough joke to make me laugh I shake all 
over, and when I shake I drop presents all 
around.’ 


36 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


“ ^Oh, how wonderful !’ they shouted. Will 
you come to the fairy queen’s birthday party 
to-morrow? We’ll tell you all the jokes you 
like if you’ll shake and drop beautiful presents 
for her.’ 

‘Promise!’ he cried. 

“The next day the fairy queen was requested 
to sit upon her throne while the fairies gath- 
ered around, and in the center stood the Ga- 
poozic. 

“‘Many happy returns, fairy queen!’ they 
all cried. 

“Then the fairies began to tell jokes, and 
the Gapoozic shook and shook with laughter, 
and presents dropped from him. 

“How delighted they all were, and the fairy 
queen had the most wonderful birthday she 
had ever had.” 


THE GNOMES AND THE TIPSTER 
BIRD 



The Bird Tipped 
Away Over. 


r HE gnomes,” said dad- 
dy, “are almost the 
best natured little creatures 
there are. They are very 
happy always, and they al- 
ways have good luck. In 
fact, they have a good luck 
bird — a special bird that just 
belongs to them. He flies over them and sings 
very much like a canary, which the gnomes 
enjoy. They feed him all the crumbs and 
worms he wants to eat, and they call him the 
tipster bird.” 

“What a funny name,” said Jack. “How 
did he ever happen to be called the tipster 
bird? Has he always been called that?” 

“No, not always,” said daddy, “but now he is 
never known as anything else but the tipster 
bird, ril tell you how it happened. 

“One time there was one little gnome who 

37 



38 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

caused all the other gnomes a great deal of 
trouble. He was often very sulky and very 
cross. In fact, his bad disposition was a great 
worry to the gnomes. 

‘‘One day the gnomes were all frolicking 
about having a splendid time when one of 
them suggested they should play tag. 

“At last the little gnome with the cross dis- 
position was tagged. 

“ ‘You’re it!’ they called. 

“But the cross little gnome was so mad that 
he’d been caught that he hit the little gnome 
who had tagged him and said, ‘I won’t be it, 
and I won’t play any morel’ 

“At that the lucky bird, as the gnomes then 
called him, was so surprised to see a gnome 
angry and do such a dreadful thing as to hit a 
little playmate that he tipped way over on one 
side. 

“ ‘Look at the queer way our lucky bird is 
tipping!’ shouted a gnome. And before they 
knew it he’d fallen to the ground, for he’d 
completely lost his balance. His right wing 
was quite hurt, and for a few days he was a 
very miserable little bird, but with the good 
care of the gnomes he soon got well and could 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 39 

fly around and sing. But after that he was 
always known as the tipster bird, for when he 
had seen a little gnome cross and behave badly 
he had fallen to the ground in astonishment. 
And the cross little gnome was so ashamed of 
what he had done that he turned out to have 
the same lovely disposition that all the other 
gnomes have, and, of course, no gnome could 
be cross again when he realized that he’d 
caused a little bird to fall to the ground in sur- 
prise and horror. 

^‘The name of the tipster bird has always 
clung to the gnomes’ pet bird ever since, and 
it’s a good thing, too, for now if any little 
gnome should feel angry he stops and thinks, 
^If I’m cross the tipster bird will lose control 
of his wings and will tip to one side until he 
falls to the ground.’ And as the tipster bird 
is such a pet every gnome sees to it that such a 
thing will never happen again.” 


THE FAIRIES’ BEAUTIFUL BIG 
MASQUERADE BALL 


‘‘T7"0U haven’t told us a 
jL story about the fairies 
for ever so long, daddy,” 
said Evelyn. 

^‘Yes; that’s true,” 
agreed Jack. “Won’t you 
please tell us one this eve- 
ning?” 

“Let me think,” said daddy. “Did I ever 
tell you about the masquerade ball they gave?” 

“No,” said Evelyn. “Do tell us about it.” 

“You know,” continued daddy, “a mas- 
querade ball is a very special kind of ball, for 
at it every one dresses up in fancy costume so 
that no one will know who it is. 

“The fairies thought it would be such fun 
to have a masquerade ball. They spoke to the 
fairy queen about it, and she was just as en- 
thusiastic. 



The Scotch Lassie Was 
Much Admired. 


40 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 41 

“ ‘I think it would be splendid/ she said. 
^Let’s have it to-morrow evening at eight 
sharp.’ 

^The next night promptly at eight all the 
fairies gathered together. And such costumes 
as there were! There were witches, wise- 
acres, dunces, dominoes, Japs, jesters, milk- 
maids, mermaids, clowns, cowboys, princes, 
kings, queens, soldiers, etc. They were to 
wear masks till supper time. 

“But one fairy seemed to be the center of 
admiration. She was. a little Scotch lassie. 
She wore a velvet jacket and a plaited plaid 
skirt. Her little legs were bare, and on her 
feet were black velvet slippers with shiny 
buckles on them. 

“The fairies talked to one another in queer 
disguised voices, so no one would be able to 
recognize them by their voices. The little 
Scotch lassie didn’t speak at all, but she danced 
the highland fling, and it completely fas- 
cinated all the fairies. 

“At last supper time came, and they all 
eagerly watched to see who every one was, and 
especially the little Scotch lassie. And who 
do you suppose it was?” 


42 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


“Could it have been the queen?” asked Eve- 
lyn. 

“Yes, indeed ; that is just who it was. They 
all at once said, ^Fairy queen, you’ve taken the 
prize.’ 

“ ‘But I can’t accept my own prize,’ said 
she. 

“ ‘You must,’ said all the fairies, ‘for you 
are perfectly marvelous.’ 

“ ‘Well, that’s a funny thing to offer a prize 
and then to keep it. But, anyway, I can di- 
vide it, as it is a box of sugar plums.’ 

“ ‘Goodie!’ they all cried.” 


ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN FAIRYLAND 


T he fairy queen had 
said that on St. Pat- 
rick’s day she was going to 
give a dinner party to 
which she invited every 
fairy. You can imagine 
how pleased the fairies 
were, for the fairy queen al- 
ways had such perfect parties. They were 
always different and better than those of any 
one else. They felt themselves to be very 
lucky little fairies indeed to have such a mar- 
velous fairy queen,” said daddy. 

“The fairy queen would not let any of the 
fairies help her. She said that she wanted it 
to be her party, and she was to get it all up 
herself. Now, weren’t they indeed pretty 
lucky to have their fairy queen take all that 
trouble for them? The only thing she told 
them was that they must all be sure to wear 
green frocks. 



They Presented the 
Gift to the Queen. 


43 


44 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

‘‘When St. Patrick’s day came the fairies 
were all right on time at the place the fairy 
queen had told them to be. She had chosen 
a lovely spot, of course. 

“The fairies all wore green fluffy dresses 
and silver crowns trimmed with moss on their 
heads. They all took their places at a long 
mossy table. 

“Two green toads were butlers and passed 
all the delicious things to eat to each fairy. 
They had such good things too. First, they 
had green turtle soup; then they had green 
peppers and olives. Next came spinach, 
green peas and meat balls with a bit of parsley 
on each. Lettuce salad came next, and for 
dessert they had green pistachio ice cream and 
little green candies. 

“The fairy queen presented each little fairy 
with a pot of shamrocks. But the fairies had 
a surprise for her! With a great deal of cere- 
mony they gave a small green box to the two 
toads, who carried it on a silver tray, and, with 
low bows and hops, presented it to the fairy 
queen. 

“The fairy queen was so surprised she could 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 45 


hardly speak, for the box contained an emerald 
pendant in the shape of a shamrock. 

‘Oh, thank you, fairies!’ she cried. ‘I am 
so happy over my beautiful present, and I shall 
enjoy wearing such a lovely pendant, I can 
tell you. But I’ve arranged a fairy dance and 
have imported some special dancers. The 
party is not yet over.’ 

“‘Hurrah!’ shouted the fairies, for they 
hated to have the end of a party come. 

“The fairy queen waved her magic wand, 
and out hopped countless green grasshoppers. 
They went through the most weird dances. 
They danced in pairs and all together, and the 
fairies clapped their hands in glee. 

“Then each grasshopper hopped on the 
shoulder of a fairy, while the fairies joined 
hands and sang all the lovely Irish songs they 
knew.” 


THE FAIRIES’ PARTY FOR THE 
ROBINS 


D addy,” said Evelyn 
as daddy came up the 
stairs ready to tell the chil- 
dren the usual bedtime 
story, ‘T saw several robins 
yesterday and forgot to tell 
you about them.” 

“Yes,” chimed in Jack; 
“they were trying to sing and be cheerful, but 
they looked as if they felt rather cold.” 

“Well, you know,” said daddy, “I think the 
early comers feel pretty chilly and cheerless, 
but I must tell you something that happened 
to-day that made them feel happier. 

“This was what it was : The queen of the 
fairies sent me a little wireless message to tell 
you, for she said she had seen you two children 
looking at the robins and feeling so sorry for 
them. So a splendid idea struck her. 

“The fairies invited the early robins to a 

46 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 47 


party. They had discovered that some of the 
robins had already moved near their favorite 
home. Of course, you know, the fairies have 
a great many homes.” 

“It was this afternoon that they had the 
party, you said, daddy?” repeated Evelyn. 

“Yes,” said daddy; “I think if you see them 
to-morrow you’ll find them really singing with 
much more joy.” 

“What happened at the party?” asked Jack. 

“I’ll tell you,” said daddy. “The robins 
were invited to be at the party at 3 o’clock. 
They spent the whole morning getting ready. 
They smoothed their feathers before a little 
brook where the sun was shining. It made a 
fine mirror, and they fussed until they really 
did look very fine. When they arrived at the 
place where the fairies had told them to be 
they saw not a sign of a fairy. 

“The place was very beautiful. All around 
were lovely little white statues. They looked 
so pretty on the new, soft, green moss. But 
the robins thought how very funny it was to 
have everything ready and no fairies in sight, 
for they were sure the statues were put there 
by the fairies to make the party especially at- 


48 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

tractive. They asked each other if they could 
have mistaken the hour for which they were 
invited. 

^Tn another moment, though, the little 
statues were dancing and singing. And there 
was such excitement among the robins, for the 
fairies had fixed themselves up as statues and 
given the robins a real surprise. The fairies 
did entertain the robins delightfully. 

“Then the robins cheered up, and they sang 
too. After the party was over the fairies gave 
the robins little straw baskets to carry home in 
their beaks. These were full of the finest 
new, fat spring worms.” 


THE FAIRIES’ TRIP IN THE GLASS 
BOTTOM BOAT 


T he lake had the love- 
liest pink, purple and 
other pale shades in it, and 
it looked as if it really very 
much enjoyed feeling 
warmer again. It was not 
The Loveliest White a Very large lake, but it 
was plenty large enough 
for the fairies. It was most beautifully sit- 
uated. It was just off the woods, and the trees 
skirted the shore,” said daddy. 

^‘The fairy queen had suggested that, as it 
had grown so much warmer and as the lake 
looked so absolutely lovely, there could be 
nothing nicer than to take a sail on it. All of 
the fairies thought that it would be delightful 
too. The fairy queen said that they would 
start on their trip at 3 o’clock, for it would 

be so much nicer to go when it was sunny. 
49 



50 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


Then they could see the beautiful reflections in 
the water and the shadows. 

“At three all the fairies were ready. They 
saw the fairy queen waiting for them by the 
shore. 

“ Where’s the boat?’ they asked her. We 
don’t see any boat. Aren’t we going? Oh, 
what’s happened? We were looking forward 
so much to a boat trip.’ 

“The fairy queen smiled and said, ^Don’t be 
impatient, little fairies.’ 

“Then she waved her magic wand and said, 
‘Come, boat!’ 

“Whereupon the loveliest white boat ap- 
peared. It came right up to the edge of the 
shore. 

“It certainly was a beautiful boat. It was 
very, very long with two big white sails. On 
either end of the boat stood a big green frog. 
They acted as steerers. They looked very fine 
indeed in their bright green suits. They al- 
most looked as if they’d bought their suits new 
for the occasion. 

“But when the fairies got in the boat the 
biggest surprise was waiting for them, for it 
was far from being an ordinary boat. The 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 51 


bottom of the boat was all glass. The fairies 
cried out with delight when they saw it, and 
the fairy queen was so happy that they liked it. 

“Then they started on a lovely trip around 
the lake, then up and down the lake. Not 
only could they see the pretty shore, but 
through the glass they could see all the fishes 
and green grasses and weeds that grew down 
under that water. Never had the fairies been 
able to see such interesting things. They 
watched some of the fishes playing and swim- 
ming around. Other fishes they watched were 
sleeping quite peacefully. 

“You can well believe how interesting it was 
and how much they enjoyed it. Of course the 
fairy queen is always perfectly happy as long 
as the little fairies are happy. 

“The fairies said after it was all over that 
it was the most wonderful and interesting boat 
trip they had ever had.” 


THE MOONLIGHT PARTY OF THE 
MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES 

E velyn asked daddy as 
soon as he got in the 
house if it was yet time for 
butterflies or any of the moth 
family. 

They Had a Good ^That question reminds 
Time. j daddy, “of a party 

the gray night flying moths 
gave the other night. 

“Some of the moths and small butterflies 
were there — in fact, as many of the moth and 
butterfly family who were up and ready for 
the summer. The tortrices, the tineids, the 
black streaked brown butterflies, the blue but- 
terflies and the elfins were all there. So, you 
see, they really did have quite a large party. 

“But it was given by the gray night flying 
moths, and it was given on a bright moonlight 
night. They chose a very lovely old fash- 
ioned garden for their party. 

62 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 53 

‘The moon was shining brightly and made 
the nicest light. The stars twinkled and 
blinked way up in the sky, just as if they were 
in the party too. At least they did seem to be 
trying to help along the gaiety of the party by 
being just as bright as they possibly could be, 
and they looked down over the party just as if 
they wanted to look very, very merry. 

“The man in the moon was winking and 
grinning and saying: 

“ ‘Ha, ha ; it does my heart good to see a fine 
party and more especially to see all the little 
butterflies and moths once more having a good 
time 

“They certainly did have a good time. 
They danced such fairy-like dances, and they 
watched their shadows under the moonlight. 
They all felt so glad to be alive and danc- 
ing, and playing once more did make them 
happy. 

“After they’d danced for some time they had 
a supper of apple worms and delicious fruit 
buds. They had danced so long that it seemed 
nice to have a supper party all together. They 
all sat on the bushes and ate their supper. But 
after it was all over they still wanted the party 


54 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

to continue. So the gray night flying moths 
said: 

“ ‘No one must go to bed yet. The party 
isn’t quarter over. We’ll feel you are not 
having a good time if you go home so soon.’ 

“All the other butterflies and moths chimed 
in at once : 

“ ‘Oh, gray night flying moths, you are most 
wonderful moths, and you give the most mar- 
velous parties! None of us has ever had such 
a fine party before, and we certainly do not 
want to go home. We’ll stay ever and ever 
so much longer — until very, very late.’ At 
that the moon again winked and grinned and 
said : 

“ ‘I’m going to stay up all night, so why 
shouldn’t all you moths and butterflies? I 
like company, and I like to be amused, and 
you can’t make me sleepy or tired.’ 

“So the party continued for a good long 
time.” 


THE BROWNIES’ BONFIRE PARTY 
FOR THE FAIRIES 


T he fairies had really been 
very busy, but Jack and 
Evelyn had not heard about 
them for a long time. 

“Can’t you tell us a story 

The Brownies Sent about the fairies to-night?” 
Out Invitations. Evelyn. 

“Please do!” chimed in 

Jack. 

“Yes, indeed!” answered daddy. “I could 
really tell you lots of stories about them, for 
they have been having all sorts of good times 
these nice spring days. But the other evening 
they had a nice party that was given just for 
them. 

“The brownies, you know, love lots of ex- 
citement and lots going on all the time. 
They’re never happy unless they can be jump- 
ing about enjoying life. So they sent out an 
invitation to the fairies which read: 

55 



56 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


^The brownies of Brownieland request the 
pleasure of the company of every one of the 
fairies of Fairyland to a bonfire party on 
Thursday evening. The brownies expect no 
replies, as they expect every fairy will just 
come.’ 

‘‘The fairies were much excited when they 
received this invitation. The brownies’ par- 
ties were always such fun, and a bonfire party 
— well, that was wonderful! The fairies 
hadn’t thought of bonfires somehow for a long 
time. 

“Now, the fairy queen said that they’d have 
to arrive at the brownies’ party in some un- 
usual manner, as that would please the brown- 
ies. She suggested that they should engage 
some hopping toads to pull their chariots to 
the party. 

“The fairies thought that was a splendid 
idea, and they engaged the hopping toads. 
The hopping toads were much honored at 
being chosen to take the fairies to the brownies’ 
party. 

“When the great big bonfire was lighted the 
brownies entertained the fairies by doing a lot 
of fancy dances around the bonfire. The hop- 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 57 


ping toads were allowed to stay and watch the 
bonfire too. It was the most beautiful blaze, 
and how the fairies did love seeing it! But of 
course they were very careful not to go too 
near the fire. 

^^After it had died down and only the red 
embers remained the brownies sang jingles, 
and the fairies joined in the chorus. And 
then, to the huge amusement of all, what 
should the hopping toads do but get up and do 
a special dance of their own! They wanted 
to feel that they were a part of the party too. 

“It was all the fairies could do to say ^Good 
night’ when it came time to leave, for they had 
had the most glorious time at the brownies’ 
bonfire party, and they thought the brownies 
were the most wonderful party givers that ever 
lived. The brownies were delighted that the 
fairies had had such a good time and were so 
pleased, for they thought that it was all a 
brownie could ask for to please a fairy.” 


THE ELVES DISCOVER THE GAME 
OF MARBLES 


ACK and Evelyn had been 
getting out their marbles 
‘or the season. When daddy 
:ame in he saw them all in a 
^ig box on the table. 

‘‘Have you commenced 
^our games yet?” he asked. 
“No; we haven’t,” replied 
the children, “but we’re going to to-morrow. 
We’ve got them out, all ready for many, many 
games. We will play our first game to-mor- 
row afternoon.” 

“That’s fine!” said daddy. “But the elves 
have beaten you out, for they had their first 
game several days ago.” 

“The elves?” said Evelyn. “Do they play 
marbles? How did they happen to think of 
playing marbles?” 

“You see, it was this way,” daddy continued 
— “the elves, as you know, have just quantities 

58 



“Have you mar- 
bles ?” they asked. 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 59 

of games that little boys and girls never even 
dream of playing. But sometimes the elves 
think it would be fun to play a game that is a 
special favorite with little boys and girls. 

‘‘One day two little elves were flitting about 
near the village, off the woods where they lived 
most of the time. They suddenly spied a lot 
of little boys playing a game with little round 
things made of glass. 

“ ‘What are they, I wonder?’ said the first 
elf. 

“ ‘I haven’t the remotest idea,’ said the sec- 
ond elf. 

“At that moment a little boy exclaimed to 
another, ‘You’ve won, and you’ll get most of 
the marbles.’ 

“‘Marbles, marbles!’ said the first elf. 
‘Those funny round things must be called mar- 
bles 1’ 

“ ‘That’s certainly what they must be,’ said 
the second elf. ‘Let’s get some and take them 
home to the other elves, and we can have a 
brand new game. I watched them playing, 
and I am sure I understand the game perfectly, 
so I can explain it to the other elves. You 
understand it, too, don’t you?’ 


6o DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


‘Oh, yes!’ said the second elf. 

“So together they went to a little shop. It 
was the only shop the elves ever went to, and 
that was because it was kept by a funny, mys- 
terious old man, and it was near the woods. 

“‘Have you marbles?’ they asked the old 
man. 

“ ‘Dear me, so you think you would like to 
play the beloved spring game of little boys 
and very often little girls? Well, here’s a fine 
collection for you of all colors and for all the 
elves,’ he replied. 

“The little elves thanked the old man and 
went home to the Silver Stream, where they 
lived. Then they told all the other elves of 
the new game, and the elves thought it was a 
wonderful discovery.” 


THE FAIRIES’ MUDPIE PARTY FOR 
THE MUD TURTLES 



The Mud Palaces 
Were Beautiful. 


y yTUD pie making had cer- 
.VJ. tainly been very popu- 
lar of late. Daddy had no- 
ticed it, and so he spoke in 
the evening to J ack and Eve- 
lyn about it. 

^‘Have you been making 
mud pies lately?” he asked. 

‘‘Yes, indeed, we have!” said Evelyn. “My 
dolls say that there is nothing they enjoy so 
much in the spring as a good mud pie. Do 
fairies ever make mud pies?” 

“Oh, yes,” said daddy; “they certainly do! 
The fairies never miss any games or parties 
or good times, you know. And they enjoy 
everything. They had a real mud pie party 
the other day.” 

“Did they have any other guests or just 
themselves?” asked Jack. 

“It was a very big party, really,” said daddy. 

61 


62 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

‘‘They gave it in the first place for the mud 
turtles. But they invited the frogs, the toads 
and some of the lizard family as well.” 

“My, it must have been a big party!” said 
Evelyn. 

“Yes,” continued daddy; “it was a very big 
party. The fairies hadn’t had a very big party 
for some time, and they thought it would be 
lots of fun to have this one. 

“They also thought it would be nice to give 
it for the mud turtles. They thought the mud 
turtles were very quaint and interesting. Be- 
sides that, they had never heard of a party 
being given in honor of the mud turtles, and 
they were sure it would please them. 

“Everything was in readiness for the party 
before the guests arrived. The party was 
given near a swamp, so there was just loads of 
mud. 

“They had delicious looking mud pies made 
up in the center of the swamp, one for each 
guest, and with a little present attached. 

“But what pleased the guests more than any- 
thing else were the wonderful decorations the 
fairies had made. 

“There were palaces, castles, gardens with 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 63 

terraces and parks. There were forts with 
soldiers and ships with sailors on board. And 
all these things were made out of mud. Really 
they were very marvelous, and all the turtles 
and toads and lizards thought the fairies cer- 
tainly could make the most wonderful fairy- 
land, no matter whether they made it with 
green moss and flowers or with plain, ordinary 
mud, for really the mud palaces were the most 
gorgeous you can imagine. 

“And the fairies felt their party had been a 
success because the mud turtles were satisfied 
with the party given in their honor and were 
really, if the truth were told, just as proud as 
peacocks that the fairies had done so much for 
them.” 


THE JOLLY FAIRIES GIVE THEIR 
YEARLY SPRING FROLIC 


The Fairy Queen Is 
Queen of the May. 



J 


FACK and Evelyn loved to 
' hear about the fairies. It 
suddenly dawned on daddy 
that he hadn’t told the chil- 
dren a story about the elves 
for ever and ever so long. 
So he said: 


‘^How about a story of the 


fairies to-night, children?” 

‘^Oh, splendid!” shouted both the children. 

^‘You know I haven’t told you yet about 
their spring frolic. Once every year at just 
about this time the fairies have what they call 
a spring frolic. This year they had it the 
night before last. 

^Tor days before this frolic the fairies had 
gone flower hunting, and, of course, they 
found quantities of them. So of every kind 
there was some specimen, and they knew just 
how to arrange these flowers. They put them 


64 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 65 

all over the fresh green grass, and here and 
there they scattered young green ferns. It 
made the grass look like a soft carpet of all 
the prettiest colors in the world. Then all 
was ready for the party. 

‘^And now the fun began. First of all, they 
had the May pole dance.” 

^Tt must be perfectly wonderful!” said Eve- 
lyn thoughtfully. ‘T can just think of all 
those lovely wild flowers which they gathered 
with the moon shining down over them and 
then all the exquisite fairies dancing around 
the May pole!” 

‘‘Yes; it is very beautiful, I fancy,” daddy 
agreed. “But, to continue, the May pole 
dance is simply one of the many delightful 
things about their spring frolic. After the 
dance is over, when, of course, the fairy queen 
is proclaimed queen of the May, the sports 
begin. 

“You see, every one feels just like exercise 
after such fine weather, and they have all kinds 
of races and games. Last of all comes the 
frolic.” 

“Is that a special game?” asked Jack. “I 
thought that you just meant the whole party 


66 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


was a frolic and because it was given in the 
spring it was called a spring frolic.’’ 

“Well, of course,” said daddy, “the whole 
party is a real spring frolic. But they do have 
a special frolic before the party is over, and 
that consists of races and hurdle jumping. 

“They have small hurdles placed every lit- 
tle distance on the race track. The race track 
is covered with flowers, and the hurdles are al- 
ways covered with flowers also, and then all 
the fairies run and jump over this course, 
while the fairies who are racing at the time 
sing jolly songs to help them hurry. 

“The fairy who wins this race has the honor 
of leading the May pole dance for the follow- 
ing spring frolic, and after the whole party is 
over the fairy queen presents each little fairy 
with a lovely crown of flowers.” 


THE FAIRIES’ TRIP THROUGH 
THE CLOUDS 

I T had been some time since 
the last fairy story had been 
heard, and daddy knew that 
that would never do, for 
Evelyn was always so radi- 
They Sailed Away, antly happy when one was 

Feeling Like Birds. 

^‘Well, how about a fairy 
story to-night, children?” asked daddy. • 
“Splendid!” Evelyn cried almost before 
daddy had finished speaking. 

“The fairies had the most perfect trip the 
other day,” said daddy. “They had been play- 
ing so much that they could not think of a 
game they wanted to play, and that very rarely 
happens in Fairyland. 

“Now, the queen of the fairies said: T 
have a scheme. We will visit the clouds. We 
haven’t been on a trip for ever and ever so 
67 



68 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


long, and I will admit that I would like a little 
change myself.’ 

‘‘‘Marvelous!’ cried all the fairies. ‘We 
would love to do that better than anything in 
the world. When shall we go?’ 

“ ‘Why, this afternoon; right now!’ 

“ ‘Well, we must be off,’ said the fairy 
queen. ‘Come, fairy airships ; fly down to this 
mossy ground, and then we can go up to the 
clouds.’ 

“At that the loveliest airships appeared. 
They looked almost like clouds themselves, so 
filmy and white were they. 

“The fairies clapped their hands with wild- 
est glee, for they had never visited the clouds 
in the airships before. 

“So off they sailed, feeling just like birds 
with the delightful flying motion of the ships. 
And up to the silvery clouds they went. When 
they got in the clouds the cloud fairies — you 
know there are fairies who live in the clouds 
all the time — took them all around and showed 
them their homes. And such homes as they 
have ! They have the most marvelous palaces, 
with courtyards and exquisite scenery all 
about. They have tall mountains where they 



“so OFF THEY SAILED, FEELING JUST LIKE BIRDS WITH THE DELIGHTFUL 
FLYING MOTION OF THE SHiPs” — Page 68 



I 









DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 69 


always go for their parties. Everything is 
such a beautiful color too, for the cloud fairies 
are very fond of pale grays and blues and sil- 
ver. 

“Then the fairies from the woods suggested 
to the cloud fairies that they should return 
their visit and come to earth. 

“ We would love to do that,’ said the cloud 
fairies. So off they began to fly from the 
clouds. They needed no airships, but do you 
know what happened? 

“As they began to drop great big drops of 
rain fell to the earth, an"d then the heaviest 
kind of a rainstorm began for the earth people, 
for of course when the cloud fairies move the 
rain is not held any more and it falls to the 
earth. 

“But the fairies from the woods didn’t mind, 
as the big trees always protect them, and the 
cloud fairies only let the rain fall where there 
were no trees. So the afternoon was one of 
greatest pleasure for both the wood fairies and 
the cloud fairies.” 


THE FAIRIES’ SPRING FLOWER 
HUNTING TRIP 


W HEN daddy came 
home that evening he 
thought he’d surely have 
to tell Jack and Evelyn 
about the fairies’ spring 
flower hunting expedition. 
She Was Given the ‘‘Would you like to hear 

Hyacinth. i i i 

about the afternoon when 
the fairies had a contest as to who should find 
the greatest number of spring flowers?” he 
asked. 

‘‘Oh, we’d love to hear about it!” said both 
the children delightedly. 

“It was the most beautiful spring after- 
noon,” commenced daddy, “when the fairies 
started off on their flower hunt. The air was 
soft and warm. They knew they were going 
to find lots of flowers, but to the fairy who 
found the greatest number of different kinds 

70 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 71 


of flowers the fairy queen was going to award 
a prize of a purple hyacinth. 

“All the fairies had their little flower bas- 
kets ready.” 

“What kind of flower baskets did they 
have?” asked Evelyn. 

“They had baskets which they’d made them- 
selves,” replied daddy, “especially for this oc- 
casion. Each basket was made of moss, and 
the outside was covered with twigs twined to- 
gether to make the basket strong. The handle 
of each basket was made of still stronger twigs. 

“Of course the fairies expected they would 
find just quantities of flowers to put in their 
baskets. 

“They wandered through the woods, into 
the fields and beside the brooks, each going to 
what he or she thought to be the best spot. 

“They gathered many flowers. They found, 
oh, so many white and purple violets, anem- 
ones, stars of Bethlehem, bluetts, ladyslip- 
pers, wild columbines, trilliums, wild honey- 
suckles and quantities of others. 

“At 5 o’clock they all went back where the 
fairy queen was waiting for them. 

“Then it was discovered that little Fairy 


72 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


Silver Heels had found one more flower than 
any of the others. It was a little yellow violet. 

‘‘So she was given the choicest of the fairy 
queen’s hyacinths, and such a fragrant, sweet 
one as it was! And such a gorgeous shade of 
purple too 1 

“Then Fairy Silver Heels was invited to 
stand in the center while all the other fairies 
twined their flowers into garlands and danced 
around her, singing their song about the woods 
in the spring. 

“It certainly was a lovely, happy afternoon, 
and, of course, once more — oh, for the thou- 
sandth time at least — they had to thank the 
fairy queen for suggesting it, and for the mil- 
lionth time they felt how lucky they were to 
have such a fairy queen.” 


THE FAIRIES PLAY IN THE SAND 


^ADDY knew that he 
-J could not let much more 
time go by without a fairy 
story, so he thought he 
would tell one to Jack and 
Evelyn at once. 

“I am going to tell you 
this evening the story of the 
fairies’ latest party, for they had one the other 
day,” said he. 

‘‘Goody!” cried Evelyn. “It is ages since 
you have told us about the fairies.” 

“Well, I thought so, too,” laughed daddy. 
And then they all laughed, and daddy com- 
menced his story. 

“The fairies found just the nicest sort of a 
place where it was very, very sandy. They 
hadn’t had a party in the sand for so long that 
they were very much excited about it. The 
fairies adore being together and never, never 

73 




74 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


grow tired of playing with one another. That 
would be quite impossible. 

“They all marched in file to the sandy place. 
They thought that would be a very amusing 
way to go, and they had a little band to head 
the procession. 

“The crickets were taken along to furnish 
the music, and they were very proud of being 
called the band. Also they were very proud 
of being invited to go to the fairies’ party. 

“And the fairies, marching behind the crick- 
ets, sang — 


“ ^Here we go to play in the sand. 
Headed by a little band.’ 

“And, of course, the crickets sang and beat 
their wings together with greater vim than 
ever when they heard the fairies singing about 
their band. 

“When they got to the sandy place they all 
commenced to play without a moment’s wait- 
ing. 

“While they were playing the crickets kept 
up their music, for they had heard that big, 
real people liked music at all sorts of funny 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 75 

times, such as when they ate and when they 
were at afternoon teas, so the crickets wanted 
to keep up with the times and do their best. 

“But the game that they really had the most 
fun over was ^Here we go round the mulberry 
bush.’ 

“They played that a great deal. They put 
a funny stick up on the top of a sand pile which 
they made, and then they would march around 
it in a ring. They fell down so often in the 
soft sand that it much amused the others. 
They laughed so hard over the funny way they 
fell that the crickets said : 

“ ^This is enough to keep us cheerful for the 
rest of our lives.’ ” 


THE FAIRIES’ TRIP TO THE SKIES 



D 


|ADDY was in quite a 


The Fairies Went 
From Star to Star. 


J hurry to begin his story, 
for he wanted to tell the 
children about the trip the 
fairies had taken the eve- 
ning before. 


^‘They did have such a 
fine trip, for the fairy queen 


arranged it all,” said daddy, ‘‘and she cer- 
tainly knows just how to make everything a 
success. 

“Early last evening she said to the fairies : 

“ ‘We have an invitation to visit the stars to- 
night, and an airship is all ready for us.’ 

“You can imagine how delighted all the 
fairies were, but they had no time to talk it 
over beforehand, for they started at once. 

“The airship was made of the loveliest silver 
cloud, and it was so soft and so comfortable. 

“The invitation had come from one very 
bright little star that always came out just a 


76 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 77 

little ahead of all the others every night. The 
star had seen the fairies playing in the moon- 
light and starlight and wanted to tell them how 
nice it was to watch them play. And so the 
invitation came. 

‘‘When they reached the star the cloud dis- 
appeared, and they were right on the bright 
little creature looking down upon their play- 
ground. 

“The star told them how much the moon 
and all the other stars enjoyed giving the 
brightness to the fairies’ evening parties and 
that they always felt as if they were having a 
party themselves just watching the good time 
the fairies were having. 

“Then the little star said that they must visit 
all the other stars, for they all wanted to have 
the fairies come and see them. 

“The fairies went from star to star along the 
Milky way and thought the way of traveling 
up in the sky was glorious. 

“They loved all the beauty of it, too, and 
the stars were very proud that the fairies 
thought they were beautiful, for they in turn 
thought the fairies were the most exquisite of 
creatures. 


78 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

‘^The fairies spent all the night going from 
star to star and seeing the life up in the sky. 

“In fact, they stayed so long that it was time 
for the stars to go to sleep and the sun to come 
out. 

“So the fairies said good-by to the sleepy 
little stars, and then a gorgeous red chariot 
came along and took them down to the earth 
again. 

“And just as they reached the earth the red 
chariot slowly vanished back of a mountain, 
and in its place a great huge red sun came up. 

“ ‘Well,’ said the queen of the fairies, ‘this 
has been a trip which we will never forget.’ 
And all the little fairies agreed with her.” 


THE ROSE FESTIVAL OF THE 
FAIRIES 



VELYN had a great 
big bowl of roses in 
her room. 

“Those roses are so fra- 
grant and so beautiful,” 
said daddy. “It reminds 
me of the rose festival the 
fairies had the other day. 

“The queen of the fairies told all the other 
fairies that they must gather all the roses they 
could and have them ready for a certain after- 
noon. 

“So they did their best to gather all the roses 
they could. They got a lot of wild roses as 
well as quantities of garden ones. 

“Every fairy had her roses in a basket made 
of straw and moss and held by pink ribbon. 

“When the fairy queen saw so many lovely 
roses she cried out with delight: 

“ ^Oh, little fairies, you always do my heart 

79 


8o DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


good. You have found some of the most beau- 
tiful roses I have ever seen, and I can’t tell 
you how happy I am. And now we will be- 
gin our rose festival.’ 

“All the little fairies at this joined hands. 
The fairies took all the roses which they had 
twined into garlands and put them around 
their necks. Then they danced around and 
around, singing songs. 

“After they had finished each fairy stood 
upon a little bed made of roses, each one a wee 
bit higher than the other, so that it made the 
fairies look like a lot of lovely rose fairies 
going up a rose stairway. 

“At the very top of all the fairy queen stood, 
and then began the real part of the festival. 

“She took all the roses that she had gathered 
and threw them down, making it look like a 
rose storm, and the fairies laughed as the roses 
fell on their necks and on top of their heads. 

“Then they tried to throw some of their 
roses up to the fairy queen ; but, of course, they 
would not go up in the air as easily as they had 
come down. 

“After the rose storm was over the fairy 
queen said: 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 8i 


“ ‘I hear some children going home from a 
picnic, and one of them is saying that her 
mother is ill, and that is why she must hurry 
back. Let’s drop all our roses and run, for 
now we have had our festival, and these roses 
will be such a treat to any one who is ill.’ 

^^So the fairies hurried away. The children 
came by, and, oh, how they exclaimed when 
they saw so many wonderful roses ! 

“ ^They will be lovely for your mother,’ said 
the children to the little girl whose mother was 
ill, and they gathered the roses up in their 
arms. 

“ T am sure the fairies must have been here,’ 
said the little girl.” 


THE FAIRIES’ SUNSET PARTY 
FOR THE BUTTERFLIES 


ACK and Evelyn re- 
minded daddy that it 
had been just ever and ever 
so long since they had had 
a fairy story. 

^‘They must have been 

The Butterflies Flew to doing lotS of things that WC 
the Mossy Ground. haven’t heard about and 

having any number of parties on these lovely, 
warm summer nights, haven’t they, daddy?” 
asked Evelyn. 

‘^Yes,” said daddy, ^^they had an especially 
nice party just the other night or, perhaps I 
should say, at sunset. Would you like to hear 
about it?” 

“Now, daddy,” laughed Jack, “you know 
just how much we want to hear that story.” 
Daddy began at once. 

“The party was to be given just at sunset, 

as I have already told you, but its chief feature 
82 



DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 83 

was that it was given entirely for the butter- 
flies. 

“The fairies, as you know, love beautiful 
things and beautiful creatures. So they are 
the greatest admirers of the butterflies. 

“They sent their invitations in a very un- 
usual way. Hidden in the honeysuckles were 
little heart shaped buds which said: 

“ ^The fairies invite the butterflies to come 
to a sunset party just at sunset to-morrow.’ 

“The butterflies were pleased to receive 
their invitations. Of course they all got them 
very promptly, for the butterflies hurry to the 
honeysuckles just as many people hurry to the 
postoflice to get mail. You see, they were not 
disappointed, for an invitation to a party of 
the fairies is a great honor. 

“The butterflies talked about the party all 
day long and bathed in the sun so their colors 
would look bright. They naturally wanted to 
look their best, for, after all, every child, every 
fairy, wants to look as well as possible for a 
party. The fairies also bathed in the crystal 
spring and basked in the sun. 

“Just at sunset the butterflies flew to the 
mossy ground that had been arranged for the 


84 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

party. They flew in order. First came a 
group of the yellow ones, which were sup- 
posed to look like the sun. Next came the 
bright colored ones, which represented the 
different colors of the sunset. Then came the 
ones which looked like the early evening, the 
pale blue ones, and lastly came the black ones 
to look like dark night. 

“The fairies clapped their hands when they 
saw the butterflies arriving, for they thought 
it was just the loveliest idea of the butterflies 
to come in order and to make such a beautiful 
butterfly picture of the different hours of the 
day. It was a compliment to the fairies, who 
love the different hours of the day and had 
arranged a party because they wanted to show 
their appreciation of the beauty of the evening 
sunset.” 


THE PRIZE FOR THE FAIRY QUEEN 


I T dawned on daddy that it 
was high time for him to 
tell the children a fairy 
story, but before he had 
had time to suggest it Eve- 
lyn said: 

Giving the p^rize to ‘^Qh, daddy, do tell us a 
Story about the fairies! 
You haven’t for just ever and ever so long.” 

“No,” said daddy; “that is quite true. I 
was thinking that myself this evening and had 
planned to tell you one. Besides, I haven’t 
told you about the swimming party they gave 
the other day. 

“The chief feature of this party was the 
diving competition. For this competition the 
fairy queen offered a prize of a great big 
bunch of pond lilies. 

“All the fairies entered the competition, of 
course, and they all were such excellent divers 
and able to make such wonderful leaps into 

85 



86 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


the water that the fairy queen could not make 
up her mind. Finally, though, she decided 
that perhaps little Lightfoot fairy had made 
almost the most wonderful dives. But then, 
just at that moment. Silver Wing made one of 
the most perfect dives the fairy queen had ever 
seen. And once more the fairy queen could 
not for the life of her decide who should win 
the prize. 

^^So she decided she would make a little 
speech. She called all the fairies over to the 
bank and began : 

^Little fairies,’ said she, cannot begin to 
tell you how I have admired the diving of 
every one of you.’ 

“At this all the fairies looked so happy and 
so proud. 

“ ‘But what has been puzzling me,’ contin- 
ued the fairy queen, ‘has been to decide on the 
winner of the prize. So I have decided that 
every one of you will be given a pond lily in- 
stead of giving the whole bunch to one prize 
winner, for it would be quite impossible to do 
that’ 

“Whereupon the fairy queen presented to 
each little fairy a beautiful big pond lily. 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 87 


And, oh, how happy and proud they all were! 

^^Then they suggested that the fairy queen 
should show them some of the wonderful dives 
she could make. 

“She was perfectly willing, for she loved to 
dive, and she always liked to help along the 
parties all she could. So she made all the dif- 
ferent dives she knew, and the fairies clapped 
their hands and were absolutely delighted. 

“But one little fairy seemed to be missing. 

“ ‘Where has little Golden Hair gone?’ 
some one suddenly shouted. 

“The fairy queen stopped diving, and the 
fairies were just arranging to look for her in 
various coves of the little lake when she came 
in view, swimming for all she was worth and 
carrying with her an enormous pond lily and 
breathlessly shouting: 

“ ‘Here is a prize for you, beautiful fairy 
queen.’ ” 


THE FAIRIES GIVE A BIG 
SUMMER PICNIC 



They Dropped a Star 
Over Every Guest. 


T he fairies had had the 
most marvelous picnic 
ever given in fairyland 
only a few days ago, and, 
you may be sure, daddy did 
not waste much time tell- 
ing Jack and Evelyn about 
it. 

^‘They had the best time that they ever had 
had in their lives, they afterward said,” began 
daddy, “and you know well how much that 
means, for they are in the habit of always en- 
joying themselves a great deal. 

“In the first place, the picnic was a very 
large one. It was given in the big pine woods, 
and, oh, it was so deliciously cool there! It 
really was so cool that the fairies would run 
around and play games for all they were 
worth, so they could appreciate the cool breeze 
better. 


88 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 89 

“There were ever and ever so many guests 
at the picnic. The humming birds were in- 
vited with the butterflies, for the fairies 
wanted all the beautiful creatures they could 
have. The orioles were there and the blue- 
jays and the robins; also the little red lizards, 
for, you know, the fairies are very fond of the 
little lizards and think they are very cunning. 
Then the elves were asked and, of course, the 
brownies. 

“It was one of the prettiest picnics you can 
imagine, for with so many lovely creatures 
playing and dancing under the big, dark pine 
trees, with just gleams of Mr. Sun peeping 
through to see the fun — well, it was one of the 
prettiest sights in the world. 

“The fairies began their picnic by swinging, 
playing tag and hide and go seek before they 
sat down to their supper, so as to make them 
very, very hungry, you see. 

“Every little creature was given just what 
was most appealing for his special appetite. 

“The fairies, elves and brownies had moss 
ice cream, which is their favorite kind, with 
evergreen patties. The birds had little dishes 
of cool spring water to drink and, of course, 


90 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


little worms to eat. The lizards were allowed 
to crawl around and pick up anything they 
chose. The butterflies and humming birds 
were given honey from the flowers, for the 
flowers were only too glad to help along. 

“Everybody did have such a good time be- 
cause everybody was thought of and nobody 
was forgotten about. 

“But the most wonderful part of all was 
when the fairies entertained all their guests 
with a special dance which they had for the 
occasion. They dropped a star of silver over 
every guest, while they danced around in 
graceful and lovely manner. 

“And all the guests picked up the little stars 
and applauded the fairies.” 


WHY MR. SUN DROVE AWAY THE 
MUD 


A TOST people cannot see anything very 

i.V A attractive about mud — although I do 
know a little boy, and a little girl, for that 
matter, who are pretty fond of mud puddles!” 
began daddy. 

Jack and Evelyn laughed very heartily, for 
they knew perfectly well that daddy meant 
them! 

“There had been so much mud,” continued 
daddy, from all the storms and all the rain 
that the big people were grumbling about it. 
They said it was horrid for driving, horrid for 
walking, horrid for riding in big automobiles, 
and very, very bad for beautiful shoes. 

“The fairies heard all this when the big 
people didn’t know the fairies were listening. 
The fairies could not help laughing about the 
mud hurting the beautiful shoes of the big 
people. You see, the fairies can alight with 

91 


92 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

their wands and fly just over the mud if they 
like. 

“ We’ll have a mud palace,’ said one little 
fairy. ‘A real castle with court-yards, and se- 
cret passages, and a haunted room, and there 
will be beautiful court ladies and court gen- 
tlemen.’ 

“All of the fairies at once began to work. 
There was plenty of mud, and it molded into 
the castle so quickly and so easily. The court 
ladies and court gentlemen were made of mud 
too. Now, maybe you don’t think that sounds 
very like court ladies and court gentlemen — 
to be made of mud, but when the fairies do 
any work it is sure to be fine. 

“These court ladies and court gentlemen 
were very grand and impressive looking. 
They wore crowns of pebbles which fitted 
around their mud heads so perfectly. 

“Soon they looked as if they were made of 
something far lighter and gayer than, mud. 
But that was Mr. Sun’s work. He came out 
to see what the fairies were up to, and he said 
to them: 

“ ‘Dear me, little fairies, you’ll never give 
an old fellow like me a holiday. Here I was 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 9a 

going off to visit some of my friends. I didn’t 
mind at all what the big people were saying 
about the rain and the mud. I knew the rain 
needed a trip to the earth. But what was 
more, I was looking forward to a good change. 
Now you come along and enjoy the mud just 
as much as you do the dry earth when I’ve 
been shining hard. It has just made me mad, 
so I’ve come out to stay for awhile. Besides, 
I’ve always got to be seeing what you are 
doing. Of all the ideas in the world, though, 
this is the funniest one! A mud palace! Ha! 
ha!’ 

^Dear Mr. Sun, you mustn’t be hurt be- 
cause we love the rain and the mud that makes 
such a lovely castle for us. We love you too, 
but we love everything, you know, and are 
always happy.’ 

“Later in the day, the mud began to go 
away, and the sun heard people saying how 
nice it did seem to see the horrid old mud dis- 
appearing. Quietly to himself he said, 

“ Well, if it hadn’t been for the fairies who 
are happy all the time I wouldn’t have come 
out. So, again, big people, it’s the little fairies 
you should really thank!’ ” 


THE LITTLE BUMBLE-BEE MAKES 
A MISTAKE 


HE fairies had a fancy dress ball last 



X night,” commenced daddy. ^Tt was 
one of the most successful balls ever given in 
fairyland, so you can imagine what it must 
have been like, for they always have wonder- 
ful parties in fairyland at any time. 

^‘They all went in most exquisite costumes 
— oh, quite the most beautiful costumes you 
ever saw or heard of. They all went as dif- 
ferent flowers. One little fairy was dressed 
so she looked like a bright red nasturtium, 
another was dressed as a pink rambler rose, 
another as a yellow golden-glow, another as a 
pansy, another as a little forget-me-not, and 
all of them, in short, in lovely costumes like 
flowers. 

“What did the fairy queen wear?” asked 
Evelyn. 

“Yes, I must tell you about her costume, for 


94 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 95 

she was really gorgeous, and, oh, how proud 
all the little fairies were of her. She wore 
the costume of the American Beauty Rose, and 
her wand was one tall, tall rose, very full and 
big and splendid. 

“They had dancing and games and all the 
elves, the brownies and many of the wood 
creatures had been invited. But one of the 
funniest things happened you can imagine. 
Some of the fairies had dressed themselves 
as honey-suckles. They kept together and 
danced together so they would look like a vine. 
Others had dressed as a vine of morning 
glories. 

“Pretty soon a buzzing was heard. It was 
louder than the band of crickets they had en- 
gaged for the music; it was louder than the 
sounds that came from the laughter of the 
fairies.” 

“What could it have been?” asked Evelyn. 

“Well, you see, nobody had thought of such 
a thing happening. The bumble-bees and the 
humming birds, who had all gone to sleep, had 
in their dreams imagined they saw lovely 
morning glories still awake and lovely honey- 
suckles all over the vines. 


96 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


‘‘One little bumble-bee went to his smaller 
brother and nudged him, saying, 

“ ‘Oh, look over there, morning glories!’ 

“The other little bumble-bee was about to 
turn over and go to sleep, for he had scarcely 
so much as peeped to see, when he too sud- 
denly noticed all the morning glories. They 
awoke all the bumble-bees far and near and 
made so much fuss and noise that they woke 
up the humming birds, who always notice 
what the bumble-bees are up to. 

“Of course the humming-birds immediately 
spied the honeysuckles, and you should have 
seen them scamper. 

“When the fairies realized what had hap- 
pened they almost lost their balances in the 
dances, for they shook all over with laughter. 

“As the bumble-bees and the humming birds 
got nearer they, too, saw that they had made 
a mistake, but the fairies at once called out, 

“ ‘Come to the party and dance, too, and we 
will give you honey, for we are having it for 
supper. We couldn’t give a ball and dress 
like flowers without having flower-honey for 
supper.’ 

“And this delighted them all.” 



“as the bumble-bees got nearer they, too, saw they had made a 

mistake” — Pag.e o6 


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THE ORCHESTRA OF THE FAIRIES 


I^HE fairies love music, don’t they, 
A daddy?” asked Evelyn one evening. 

“Yes,” said daddy, “and that reminds me 
of the story I want to tell you about the fairies’ 
orchestra. 

“One lovely summer evening, many years 
ago, the queen of the fairies said to the little 
fairies, 

“ T just feel like hearing music.’ 

“ We will give you music,’ said the little 
fairies. ^Sit in your summer throne of golden- 
rods and ferns and wear your crown of mid- 
summer flowers. Then waft your fairy wand 
of gold and you shall hear us!’ 

“The face of the queen of the fairies beamed 
with pleasure at the thoughtfulness and sweet- 
ness of the little fairies, and she sighed with 
happiness that her wish was to be made real. 

“ We are coming, fairy queen,’ came from 
hundreds and hundreds of little voices. 

“Then more wonderful still sounded the 
97 


98 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

melody that came from all the little fairy fid- 
dlers. They played on their fiddles made of 
the sweet-smelling ferns and their bows were 
made from delicate twigs of bushes. Back of 
the fairy fiddlers were the drums.” 

“Who played the drums?” asked Jack, for 
they sounded very boy-like. 

“You never could in a hundred years im- 
agine who played the drums. The fairies in- 
vited the raindrops to play them! They fell 
down on the wood grounds very softly, very 
evenly, with great big drops, and just kept 
time with the fairy who was leading the or- 
chestra with her little wand. 

“But there were the flutes, too — they were 
played by the whip-poor-wills. The fairies 
love all the shy wood birds you see, and they 
love everything in nature like the little rain- 
drops that make the earth so fresh and green 
and give the little birds cool drinks of water. 
And all these little birds of the woods helped 
in the chorus. 

“It was the most beautiful concert and the 
fairy queen was radiant with happiness and 
delight. The little fairy who led the orches- 
tra was named Fairy Ybab. It’s a fairy, 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 99 

wood-name, you see. She had long black hair 
and wore a crown of silver leaves. As she 
beat time with her silver wand she moved her 
little head from side to side and sang, too, with 
the rest of the chorus. 

‘‘The fairies played long and late into the 
night. They played dance music, songs of 
childhood and fairyland, and slumber songs 
for all the little boys and girls who were sleep- 
ing soundly. 

“ ‘Ah,’ said the fairy queen, ‘how happy 
you’ve made me, little fairies. We shall have 
this lovely music often. You must all play 
and sing many, many times now; you little 
fairy fiddlers with your lovely melodies, you 
little raindrops that beat the drums when you 
fall to earth, and you whip-poor-wills with 
your flute-like voices.’ 

“ ‘But, fairy queen,’ said Ybab, ^you sug- 
gested the orchestra and the concert, you won- 
derful fairy queen!’ ” 


THE DREAMLAND TREE OF 
FAIRYLAND 


E velyn had been having so many inter- 
esting dreams lately. She would tell 
them to Jack from start to finish every morn- 
ing, but she told them very hurriedly to daddy, 
as she didn’t want to take away any of the time 
for daddy to tell his bedtime story. One eve- 
ning, though, daddy said, 

‘T think the best story to tell, now that Eve- 
lyn is having so many lovely and interesting 
dreams, is the story of the dreamland tree. 

Years and years and years ago — oh, so 
many years back we’d get all mixed up if we 
tried to count them — there lived a lovely 
princess who was a fairy. Her name was 
Princess Dreamland, for she always had the 
most beautiful dreams, and stranger than that, 
all of the fairies would see and hear the same 
things that Princess Dreamland was hearing 
or seeing in her dreams. 

‘Tt was all magic, you see. Every evening 
100 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES loi 


when the fairies were ready for a little nap, 
Princess Dreamland would say, 

“ ‘Come, all of the fairies, under the dream- 
land tree.’ 

“They would all flock to a long piece of 
mossy ground under a low, spreading spruce 
tree, and there they would wait for the won- 
derful dreamland nap they were to have. 

“Princess Dreamland would wave her 
magic wand, and then, suddenly, the tree 
would become a mass of silver. The tree was 
silver, the branches were of silver, and the 
roots were of silver. But at the same time all 
the delicious smell of the spruce would remain 
which the fairies call the wood people’s per- 
fume. 

“And as they all sat under the silver tree, 
suddenly they would feel their wings droop 
and their heads go over ever so slightly and 
then they would know at the same time that 
they had fallen fast asleep and that they were 
soon to have a trip with the dreamland tree. 

“Soon the tree’s branches bent down so far 
that every twig of silver caught hold of the 
wings of a little fairy, and the Princess Dream- 
land they put on the very top of the tree. 


102 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


^Then they would sail with the silver tree 
over the ocean, the woods, the fields; they 
would stop and call on the little stars; they 
would look at their own reflections in some 
brook over which Mr. Moon was shining 
brightly, and just before they got home the 
most wonderful thing of all always happened. 

“Each fairy whispered to the dreamland 
tree the wish that was most wanted to come 
true. The little silver twigs heard the wishes 
and as they were leaving the fairies again un- 
der their branches — soon to turn back into the 
spruce tree — they saw that the wish of every 
fairy came true whenever the fairy wished 
it to. 

“Usually Princess Dreamland wished that 
the very next night they could all have their 
dreamland tree with them again, and one of 
the other little fairies always wished that they 
would be sure to call on the stars — for one lit- 
tle bright star was one of her very best friends 
— and the star never dared come down to 
earth. 

“So, you see, in fairyland too they know 
about the land of dreams.” 


THE FAITHFUL LITTLE FAIRIES 
OF THE WELLS 


E velyn and jack were going to spend 
the next day visiting some children who 
lived on a lovely, big farm. They were look- 
ing forward to it, and were talking of all the 
things they were going to see and do. 

^Wou’ll get all the water you drink from 
pumps; oh, such good, cool water, too,” said 
daddy. “How well I remember as a boy I 
thought water was ever so much better that 
had to be pumped up.” 

“Will there be a deep well we can look 
down into?” asked Evelyn. 

“And with moss around the sides?” sug- 
gested Jack. 

“And more than that, too,” said daddy, “the 
well fairies will be there. You may not see 
them, but sometimes, if you listen, you will be 
able to hear them chattering away down deep 
in the bottom of the well. It’s really and 

103 


104 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


truly, too, the fairies that fill the buckets that 
go down to the bottom of wells when any one 
wants water. 

‘‘Years and years ago, some of the fairies 
had been hearing about a long dry time the 
people had been having. It worried them 
very much, for they longed to help the people 
without letting them know they were helping. 

“So the queen of the fairies sent for her spe- 
cial little band of workers and said to them, 

“ ‘Some of the fairies would look after the 
water in the wells if only the people would dig 
their wells deeper in the first place, so the 
fairies could do their work without being seen. 
You all scatter the news in different parts of 
the country, by whispering it in the ears of the 
people who own the wells, or who are going 
to dig wells. Whisper it when it is quite 
dark, when they can’t see you possibly, and 
when they will simply think they hear the 
wind blowing. They will scarcely realize at 
first that you have suggested such a thing, but 
watch, and see. They will take the hint later 
on, for they are wise, these real people.’ 

“The queen’s special band of fairy workers 
set out on their mission, and soon, very soon, 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 105 

the fairies noticed that all the wells were being 
made way, way, way down into the ground. 

‘‘ ^Now, it’s up to us,’ said the fairies, ‘to do 
our parts.’ 

“Quite a lot of the fairies said they would 
love to live down at the bottom of wells, where 
it was always cool, where the moss grew, and 
where they could give people delicious, cool 
water to drink. Off they went down to the 
bottom of the wells to live — ^whole families of 
them went. 

“They saw that the buckets were always sent 
from the bottom of the well filled with de- 
licious, cool water. And the people were so 
thankful that they had made new wells. 

“But when you are getting your water from 
the pump to-morrow, you will know that the 
fairies at the bottom of the well are filling it 
with the water which they never let disappear, 
for they know how to make the rocks and 
earth give it forth to the people.” 


THE DEW-DROPS HAVE A 
BREAKFAST PARTY 


‘‘TT 7E got up very fine and early this morn- 
W ing,” said Jack. 

‘‘Too sleepy for a story to-night?” suggested 
daddy with a smile. 

“No, indeed, daddy, you know we’re not too 
tired or sleepy. You are laughing yourself!” 
said Evelyn. 

“Maybe then it would be a good time to tell 
you about some other little creatures who get 
up early. Very early, too, just as the sun has 
risen and the dew-drops are over the flowers, 
the shrubs, the bushes, the grass.” 

“The fairies!” shouted Evelyn. 

“Yes, the fairies, and they were given a 
breakfast by the dew-drops. When the invi- 
tation came the fairies were so joyful and 
happy. 

“ ‘Ah, it’s an honor,’ said the fairy queen, 
‘to be invited to breakfast by the dew-drops. 

They know we love the dawn and the early 
106 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 107 


morning when everything is so fresh and 
lovely looking. We are lucky to have such 
an invitation.’ 

“The invitation was for the next day and 
just at dawn all the fairies arrived. They 
wanted to be ahead of all the dew-drops, for 
they had a surprise for them, too! When the 
dew-drops arrived, soon after old Mr. Sun 
had made his appearance, all of the fairies 
jumped up from their hiding places and began 
a lovely fairy dance in and out of the dew- 
drops’ little thrones on the grasses. The dew- 
drops were delighted and sparkled with glee. 
They almost looked like diamonds, so bright 
and sparkling were they. 

“ ‘Now, it is time for breakfast,’ said the 
dew-drops, ‘and we know you must be ready.’ 

“At that moment lots and lots of little elves 
and brownies came along, marching very 
straight, and carrying big trays with delicious 
goodies on them. The trays were made of 
moss and around the edges were wild roses. 

“They had wild raspberries on saucers of 
little hollow-shaped stones. Then they had 
oatmeal porridge which was made of sweet 
grass, and then they had little red, wild her- 


io8 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 

ries which take the place in fairyland of the 
you children have each morning. The 
dew-drops gave them some of their much- 
prized dew-water to drink, and the fairies 
were highly honored at that. 

^‘The brownies and elves sat down with the 
fairies and ate some fairy breakfast, too, for 
they had worked very hard helping the dew- 
drops. The dew-drops, you see, can’t stay up 
very long and they wanted to be around when 
all the fun was happening, so the brownies and 
elves said they would do all the work. You 
know they are fine little workers, too. 

^‘Pretty soon the dew-drops began to grow 
fainter and fainter until the fairies could 
scarcely see them. But they just heard them 
whisper as they were going away from their 
places on the blades of grass, the bushes and 
the flowers, 

‘Come again, fairies, and make us a party 
call! The sun is too hot for us now, but to- 
morrow morning — bright and early!’ 

“ ‘We’ll be there, little dew-drops,’ shouted 
the fairies.” 


HOW THE SUN WON THE SNOW 
BATTLE 

I T had been a glorious winter day with snow 
on the ground and good, clear, cold air. 
Of course Evelyn and Jack had been having a 
wonderful time, but as soon as daddy came in 
Evelyn asked suddenly, 

“Don’t the fairies ever mind the cold, 
daddy?” 

“No, indeed,” answered daddy. “They 
don’t mind it one scrap more than you and 
Jack did this afternoon.” 

“Then they love it,” said Jack. 

“Of course they do! They had a snow-ball 
battle this very afternoon. 

“It was one of the most wonderful battles, 
too, for you know every fairy wanted to be on 
the same side. Of course, the fairy queen said 
that it wouldn’t be a battle if they didn’t take 
sides. The fairies for one very short moment 
were just a little sad. But then the fairy 
queen explained it all to them. That was just 

109 


no DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


part of the game. They would call it a snow- 
game instead of a snow-battle and she would 
choose the sides. 

^‘They were all quite happy again and the 
game commenced. Each side had a beautiful 
snow fort and the fairy queen sat at one side, 
between the forts, on a snow throne with a 
high snow crown for her head. 

“The snow was light and the snow-balls 
were like fluff. They fell as they struck. 
Sometimes they struck the fairy they were 
aimed for, or they fell to the ground. For the 
fairies were laughing so they couldn’t bother 
to see about aiming. 

“They had been throwing the snow-balls for 
some time, when suddenly the fairy queen 
called out, 

“ ‘Oh, fairies, look!’ 

“There was the winter sun where they 
looked. The winter sun all red and glowing. 
He felt the warmth of feeling fine and strong, 
and he was beautiful because he was so warm 
and red and strong looking. 

“ ‘Who won the snow-battle?’ he called. 
‘Tell me quickly, for it’s high time to go to 
bed. You see, I get sleepy these winter days. 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES in 


I shine so hard all day trying to keep all the 
fairies and all the little boys and girls warm 
at their play that I am ready for bed long be- 
fore I am in the summer. Then, you see, no 
one cares so much about my warm rays and I 
don’t get tired at all. In the winter I have 
real, real work to do. That’s why I am so 
red and bright. I just have to be the bright- 
est color there is, as I am so happy that I can 
keep all the fairies and the little boys and girls 
warm when they play. A day like this makes 
me sleepy, though. I have worked so hard.’ 

^‘And Mr. Sun almost sank down in weari- 
ness behind his hill-bed. 

^Tell me who won?’ he called out. 

'You won, Mr. Sun,’ they called to him as 
he was getting farther and farther behind the 
hill towards his long, nightly rest. ^You won, 
for you made both sides so warm and strong 
that neither side could win.’ 

^^Some after-glow of red colors over the 
snow told the fairies that Mr. Sun had heard, 
and as he went to sleep he said softly to him- 
self, 

‘I’ll be there to-morrow. I love fairies 
and little boys and girls.’ ” 


LITTLE PRINCESS TWILIGHT- 
BELL’S PARTY 


^‘TT was the loveliest evening you can im- 

X agine,” commenced daddy, as he saw 
Jack and Evelyn were waiting for their story; 
^ht was not quite dark and there were the twi- 
light shadows — so much more beautiful than 
any others — everywhere. 

“Little Princess Twilight-Bell was singing 
softly to herself as she danced among the 
shadows. Little Princess Twilight-Bell was 
named just after the hour when she was sing- 
ing to herself. It was her favorite hour of the 
day, and her voice was clear and lovely as a 
bell, so it was the very best name in the world 
for her. 

“ ‘Ah,’ she sang, ‘beautiful shadows, come, 
with me play, you make me happy, you make 
me gay.’ 

“‘Dear me,’ said Fairy Frolic, ‘there is 
Princess Twilight-Bell making up rimes; 

something must be going to happen ! What is 
112 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 113 

it going to be, Twilight-Bell, a dance or races 
with the shadows?’ 

‘‘‘Oh, Fairy Frolic, you are just the one. 
You get lots of the other fairies together and 
we will all have races with the shadows. You 
always know when I make up rimes that I 
am ready for fun, fun, wonderful fun.’ 

“At that Twilight-Bell danced and jumped 
with the shadows some more, while Fairy 
Frolic went off to call the other fairies for the 
races. She went to the big trees and to the 
little trees, to the beds of moss where many of 
them were resting and sleeping and dreaming. 
She went to the brooks and to the streams, all 
the time calling, 

“ ‘Hurry, hurry, the twilight shadows are 
waiting for us.’ 

“Oh, so many of the fairies flew to the place 
where Fairy Frolic led them, where they saw 
little Princess Twilight-Bell dancing with the 
shadows which were between the great pines 
of the Old Woods. 

“They danced first of all while little Prin- 
cess Twilight-Bell sang for them. Nearby, I 
am told, the people who live in houses were 
heard to have said, 


114 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


^Oh, how lovely are the wood sounds to- 
night. The trees are singing and whisper- 
ing.’ 

“But we know about the fairies’ voices, you 
see. 

“After they had danced a little while, the 
races began. Such glorious races as they 
were. The shadows scampered about and 
tried to win, the fairies raced and jumped and 
tried, too, to win. 

“As you’ll never guess who won. I’ll tell 
you. The laughing old man in the moon, who 
came up over the tall pine trees. He laughed 
and he chuckled and he said, 

“ ‘Another evening; little fairies, now I will 
give you bright light for the moss ice-cream 
the fairy queen always has for you to see — 
and to eat,’ he added with a great, broad grin. 

“So the shadows left. The twilight had 
gone and night had come on. But little Prin- 
cess Twilight-Bell had had her wished-for 
party and was very, very happy.” 


HOW THE FAIRIES MADE IT 
COOLER 

T ARRY had been playing so hard all 

X JL day,” commenced daddy, “that he was 
actually and really ready for bedtime to come. 

“Every one that day had felt the heat and 
probably all the other little boys had felt just 
as Harry had. But not until the time to leave 
the playground did the game end. 

“So, in the smallest little minute you ever 
knew, he went sound, sound asleep. But in 
his sleep he was just as hot as ever, and he 
could still not stop playing from pride. The 
game was never-ending, it seemed to him, un- 
til suddenly one of his playmates saw a beauti- 
ful fairy, dressed in cool silver and green, car- 
rying a wand of green with silver stars, and on 
her head was a crown made of green with sil- 
ver stars too. 

“ ^Little boys,’ said the fairy, ‘you are all so 
hot and so tired, and not one of you will dare 
admit it, but I will see that you all get fine and 

115 


ii6 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


cool. We are planning to take a trip to-day 
and we want all you little boys to come too.’ 

^‘They all just scampered along after the 
beautiful fairy, and she led them down to the 
little creek behind the playground. 

“There they found lots and lots of other 
beautiful fairies, all wearing their coolest 
gowns of green and silver. 

“All the little fairies cried out to the small 
boys and said, ‘Welcome,’ in chorus. 

“And the little boys cried back, ‘Welcome 
many times, lovely fairies, we are beginning 
to get cool now, and we were so hot.’ 

“ ‘Our trip must start,’ said the little fairy 
who had gone for the small boys in the first 
place, and at once they all saw lovely sail-boats 
appearing. They were quite different, 
though, from any other sail-boats any of the 
boys had ever seen. 

“They all climbed in the boats, and sud- 
denly they went down under the water, and 
way out beyond the creek into the river, and 
from there into the sea. They went in these 
sail boats way under the water until they 
reached the bottom of the sea. 

“The strange thing about it was that it 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 117 


seemed so natural to be under the sea, and it 
was just as easy to breathe as up on land. 
Finally, after they had been going along for a 
very long way, the fairy who was leading the 
party said, 

^Here we stop.’ 

“The small boys saw spread before them on 
the bottom of the sea, long tables of soft, green 
sea weed with delicious and strange looking 
dishes of food. The dishes were very beauti- 
ful shells of all sorts and the food — well, it 
was the most marvelous any of the boys had 
ever had. 

“The crabs and the turtles waited on the 
table and all the other little fishes who lived in 
that part of the bottom of the sea joined in the 
merry making. 

“Harry was just about to get up to make a 
speech of thanks, when at that moment his 
mother called him, and as Harry sleepily 
awoke he knew it was all a dream — but for 
one thing — it was cooler, and it must have 
been the fairies who saw to that.” 


THE LITTLE GLOVES THE 
FAIRIES WEAR 


E velyn had suggested that foxgloves 
would look extremely pretty in her gar- 
den. Jack had somewhat objected, for, said 
he, 

‘^They look best in the woods, but we will 
let you decide for us, daddy.” 

‘‘Foxgloves would be beautiful anywhere,” 
began daddy. “In that I agree with Evelyn, 
but I do agree with Jack, that they are lovelier 
in the woods. You know that foxgloves are 
the fairies’ flowers — or rather they are the 
fairies’ gloves.” 

Evelyn smiled with real pleasure, for 
whether they were to have foxgloves or not in 
the garden mattered not at all, now that daddy 
was going to tell a fairy story. 

“Years and years ago,” said daddy, “there 
was a most wonderful big reception given in 
fairyland. You know a reception is like a 

big tea-party such as mother and all the 
118 


DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 119 

grown-up ladies go to so often. Well, they 
have these in fairyland, too. 

“The day of the reception, which, by the 
way, was being given by King Toadstool the 
Red, and Queen Toadstool the Yellow, at last 
arrived. The red toadstools you see in the 
woods belong to the royal family of toadstools, 
and very fine they are, too. The yellow ones 
are the Queen’s favorite color, so all her ladies 
in waiting are the smaller yellow toadstools 
you see — the bright, bright yellow ones. 

“Well, on this fine day, when they were all 
getting ready for the reception, one of the 
fairies said, 

“ ‘Oh, where are our gloves?’ 

“The queen of the fairies never has a mo- 
ment to think for the answer. As quickly as 
you can jump up when you find your foot has 
gone to sleep, she replied, 

“ ‘The folks’ gloves of course are always for 
us to use. And you are quite right, little 
fairy, at this reception we must all wear 
gloves.’ 

“These folks’ gloves are what you know 
now as foxgloves. They were called the 
gloves of the ‘little folks’ or ‘fairies.’ 


120 DADDY’S BEDTIME FAIRY STORIES 


^‘The fairies wore the lovely wood gloves to 
the reception and looked very fine indeed. 
They liked them so much that they wore them 
afterwards for lots of their parties, and there 
were just ever and ever so many of them which 
had to grow as quickly as possible for the 
fairies — for there must always be plenty of 
everything for fairies. 

‘‘One day some little boys and girls picked 
the foxgloves or fairies’ gloves and planted 
them in their gardens. The foxgloves grew 
very strong and fine in the gardens of sunshine 
and good care, but they lost their lovely grace- 
ful looks, their fairy looks, for they said they 
would be loyal to the fairies and in the gar- 
dens they would just look strong, but not nearly 
so pretty, as their right homes were in the 
woods! And it is there that they are happiest, 
for their greatest delight is being used by the 
lovely fairies.” 

“Oh,” said Evelyn, “daddy has explained 
now. We’ll have other flowers in the garden, 
for the fairies might not have enough gloves 
at the next party to go around if we picked a 
lot!” 


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